Interracial Couple Banned From Kentucky Church
Interracial Couples

First Posted: 11/30/11 06:08 PM ET Updated: 12/ 1/11 11:38 AM ET


In a move to "promote greater unity" among its body and the Pike County community it serves, a small Kentucky church voted to ban interracial couples from membership and from participating in certain worship activities, Kentucky.com reports.

Though reminiscent of some Jim Crow-era mandate, the Gulnare Freewill Baptist Church actually made the decision earlier this month, following a visit from 24-year-old Stella Harville, daughter of the church's secretary and clerk, and her 29-year-old fiance, Ticha Chikuni, a native of Zimbabwe.

According to Harville's father, Dean Harville, Stella brought Chikuni to the church in June where they performed a song for the congregation.

Following the visit, former pastor Melvin Thompson told Harville that his daughter and her fiance could not sing at the church again. Thompson later proposed that the church go on record saying that while all people were welcome to attend public worship services there, the church did not condone interracial marriage.

His proposal, which was accepted by a 9-6 vote last week, also suggested that married interracial couples be prohibited from becoming members and used in worship activities, except for funerals.

"It's not the spirit of the community in any way, shape or form," said Randy Johnson, president of the Pike County Ministerial Association, according to Kentucky.com.

While Pike County and the surrounding community come to grips with the church's decision, researchers at Ohio State University and Cornell University say black-white marriages in the United States are soaring, increasing threefold, from 3 percent in 1980 to 10.7 percent in 2008.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/30/interracial-couple-banned-from-kentucky-church_n_1121582.html?icid=maing-grid7|customfirefox|dl4|sec3_lnk2|116806

I guess the ignorant in some cases can truly not learn anything

Gulnare Freewill Baptist Church

That is so hypocritical to call their church the "freewill" Baptist Church.

Who would even want to be a member of a church like that anyway?

It would be interesting to hear their explanation , but its sad that people still judge on something as superficial and social as race

bible just stated that man should cling to woman,, race came later when some needed to feel superior to others,,,,

Now there is where I have an issue with the Bible.

I don't want no man clinging to me.

lol, yeah, the semantics of it is not always so appealing

(Im not comfortable around needy people either, whatever the gender or relationship)

there are more appealing translations such as 'be united with'

'join with' , 'hold fast with'

I like "worship."

Man should worship his woman.



Oh, that's right, God wants all the worship.

Damn.

It's not about race it's about a pissed off dad who doesn't like the guy his daughter brought home and is trying to keep him out of her life and the church(Which is her life).

I didnt see any suggestion of that in the article,,,,

according to news reports,

"The Harville family has formally requested the congregation to reconsider the interracial ban"

if i don't laugh about it i'll cry

an 'interracial ban' put in place by a group who encourages it's congregation to pray for the presidents death, condones murder
of abortion doctors, and teaches it's your duty as a good
parent to hit your children and if it doesn't hurt..
'your not doing it right'

if god is love and love is god...
this sure doesn't sound like a religion based on well..either.

my son is right when he says..'people are stupid, we deserve
everything we get'

WOW! You put a lot of thought into that statement? Sure was deep!

Baptists are insane zealots.

you find extreme beliefs in every group,,,whatever their label

Not always. I find Methodists in general to be quite normal and sane people for the most part.

I find baptists, in general, to be the same

and IM sure there are 'methodists' who have extreme beliefs , as they are human beings,,,

Southern Baptists who go to a church that promotes and openly prays for someones death and destruction should have their heads examined.

When you meet them on the street, they look normal.

Looks are deceiving.

I agree with that, as should anyone practicing such behavior. I dont know baptists who do though Im sure , as humans, they exist and the media have reported on one or two churches which encourage it.

I personally know one or two churches myself who are quite radical and self righteous who do things like that.

You are baptist..yes?

I once went to my friends Baptist church and they spent about 10 minutes bashing Catholics. The dude was actually like "lets talk about Catholics".