Our hearts go out to the friends, families, and members of Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. The murders of the pastor and eight other church members of this historic church, during a time of prayer, shock the sensibilities and are a source of anguish to every civilized person.
That a person would enter the church and, apparently after being in the meeting for an hour and listening to the teaching of the Gospel, would then unleash this diabolical horror on innocent Christian men and women is or should be unthinkable in this age and in this country.
That a young man deceived by the erroneous and arrogant proclamation of “white supremacy” would visit violence and mayhem upon innocent worshippers of African American heritage is a sobering and grim reminder that not all people embrace the biblical teaching that, in God, there is “neither Jew nor Greek … male nor female.” Neither, in the Christian faith, is there any distinction between white or black, brown or yellow, or any other color or shade of skin color. Even the children in church have learned that:
“Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red, brown, yellow
Black and white
They are precious in His sight.
Jesus loves the little children
Of the world.”
We, the clergy and laity of the Diocese of the Mid-South (Tennessee and Georgia) deplore this horrific criminal and racist act and stand with our brothers and sisters of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and with all people, regardless of denomination or race, who are victims of senseless and cowardly acts of violence.
Our prayers are with all who have suffered and pray for God’s peace, comfort, and grace for the people of “Mother Emanuel.”
The Most Reverend W. David Epps, Bishop
The Diocese of the Mid-South
The International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church
Sharpsburg, Ga.
