Kentucky church bans interracial marriage

[anansi]

A small Kentucky church has chosen to ban marriages and even some worship services for interracial couples. The Gulnare Freewill Baptist Church, located in Pike County, made the vote in response to a longtime member who is engaged to a man whose birthplace is in Zimbabwe.
Other pastoral leaders in the area were quick to denounce the church's vote. "It's not the spirit of the community in any way, shape or form," Randy Johnson, president of the Pike County Ministerial Association, told the Lexington Herald-Leader.
The small congregation, which usually hosts about 40 members each Sunday, held the vote after longtime member Stella Harville, brought her fiancé Ticha Chikuni to church with her in June. The couple performed a song together at the church in which Chikuni sang "I Surrender All," while Harville played the piano.
Chikuni, 29, who works at Georgetown College, is black--and Harville, who was baptized at the church but is not an active member, is white. Dean Harville, Stella's father, said he was told by the church's former pastor Melvin Thompson that his daughter and her fiancé were not allowed to sing at the church again. However, Thompson recently stepped down and the church's new pastor, Stacy Stepp, said the couple was once again welcome to sing.
Stepp's decision prompted Thompson to put forth a recommendation saying that while all members are welcome at the church, it does not "condone" interracial marriage, and that any interracial couples would not be received as members or allowed to participate in worship services. The only exception? Funerals.
The Harville family has formally requested the congregation to reconsider the interracial ban, and Thompson has also said he would like to resolve the issue, the area CBS affiliate WYMT has reported
news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/kentucky-church-bans-interracial-marriage-150009470.html

What year?? for get the year!! what century are livining in..

[zarahan]

The small congregation, which usually hosts about 40 members each Sunday, held the vote after longtime member Stella Harville, brought her fiancé Ticha Chikuni to church with her in June. The couple performed a song together at the church in which Chikuni sang "I Surrender All," while Harville played the piano.
Chikuni, 29, who works at Georgetown College, is black--and Harville, who was baptized at the church but is not an active member, is white. D



I don't get the details. Is the white female Harville a member, or not a member of the church?

one part says:
after longtime member Stella Harville, brought her fiancé Ticha Chikuni

but then 2 sentences later it says:
and Harville, who was baptized at the church but is not an active member, is white.

Which is it?

A sad case nevertheless for a race ban. One can see membership- such as Catholics wanting to marry others of the church- other Catholics, or orthodox Jews arguing for marriage to other orthodox Jews, or Coptic rite Ethiopians arguing for marriage to other Coptic-rite Ethiopians. That though is a NON-RACIAL criteria. Moses himself married an Ethiopian. She was willing to be part of his Hebrew faith.

But what bout the Black Muslims/NOI? Farrakhan too says he doesn't like interracial marriages. I don't know much about NOI policy on this score Would a non-NOI white member be allowed to marry a black NOI member? Are white people allowed to join NOI? If so, could a white NOI marry a black NOI with the blessing of the group?

[anansi]

Feb 13, 2012 23:04:59 GMT -5 zarahan said:

The small congregation, which usually hosts about 40 members each Sunday, held the vote after longtime member Stella Harville, brought her fiancé Ticha Chikuni to church with her in June. The couple performed a song together at the church in which Chikuni sang "I Surrender All," while Harville played the piano.
Chikuni, 29, who works at Georgetown College, is black--and Harville, who was baptized at the church but is not an active member, is white. D



I don't get the details. Is the white female Harville a member, or not a member of the church?

one part says:
after longtime member Stella Harville, brought her fiancé Ticha Chikuni

but then 2 sentences later it says:
and Harville, who was baptized at the church but is not an active member, is white.

Which is it?

A sad case nevertheless for a race ban. One can see membership- such as Catholics wanting to marry others of the church- other Catholics, or orthodox Jews arguing for marriage to other orthodox Jews, or Coptic rite Ethiopians arguing for marriage to other Coptic-rite Ethiopians. That though is a NON-RACIAL criteria. Moses himself married an Ethiopian. She was willing to be part of his Hebrew faith.

But what bout the Black Muslims/NOI? Farrakhan too says he doesn't like interracial marriages. I don't know much about NOI policy on this score Would a non-NOI white member be allowed to marry a black NOI member? Are white people allowed to join NOI? If so, could a white NOI marry a black NOI with the blessing of the group?

I don't think anyone who self I'd as "white" in the American sense could or the environment would be hostile,however I don't think it barred Arabs some of who are lite or could be seen as white in their country of origins as well as Iranians and others.in other words if you have any hint of Brown ie the good ol one drop rule you should be OK!.

The lady was Baptized in the church but perhaps not a regular attendee,it would be like if I showed up to my church of baptism after all these yrs of non attendance,I'd still be a member as per the records but not active.