THE pastor of a Kentucky church that voted to bar interracial couples from becoming members says he believes the congregation will be forced by its state and national associations to overturn the decision, the Appalachian News-Express reports.
The Gulnare Free Will Baptist church in Pike County voted 9 to 6 on Sunday, with a number of abstentions, to institute the ban after the white daughter of a longtime member, who serves as church secretary and clerk, brought her black fiancé to the church in June.
The bar was proposed by the then-pastor at the church after the woman, Stella Harville, played the piano while her fiancé, Ticha Chikuni, a native of Zimbabwe who works at Georgetown College, sang I Surrender All at a summer service.
Stacy Stepp, the current pastor, says he is confident officials with the state and national Free Will Baptist associations will order the church to overturn the decision.
Stepps told the newspaper he believes the associations will side with him and other members of the church against the vote. Many members abstained during Sunday’s meeting.
Here is a statement, issued Thursday, by the executive office of the National Association of Free Will Baptists:
Recently, the action of a Free Will Baptist church in the state of Kentucky raised questions regarding the position of the National Association of Free Will Baptists on interracial couples. This statement is intended to bring clarity to the subject.
The National Association of Free Will Baptists does not have an official policy regarding interracial couples because it has not been an issue in the denomination.
The Free Will Baptist Treatise neither condemns nor disallows marriage between a man and woman of different races.
Free Will Baptists have historically championed the rights and dignity of all people, regardless of race. The denomination’s leadership in the abolition movement is evidence of that fact. Free Will Baptists currently spend millions of dollars each year to take the good news of Jesus Christ to people of every race.
Many interracial couples are members of Free Will Baptist churches. They are loved, accepted, and respected by their congregations. It is unfair and inaccurate to characterize the denomination as racist.
It is our understanding that steps are being taken by the church in question to reverse its decision. We encourage the church to follow through with this action.
Leaders from the local conference and state association in Kentucky are working with the church to resolve this matter.
“This shouldn’t have been brought into the church. I know a lot of young people have that conviction in our area, and I don’t have a problem with people having convictions,” Cathy Harville, Stella’s mother, tells WLKY. “I have a few of my own, but if it’s not backed by the Bible, you should not bring that stuff into church.”
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