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7JULY 2015BODY OF CHRIST NEWS Bishop Brian Keith Williams can- didly spoke with Body of Christ News recently concerning the church shooting in South Carolina. Pastor of All Nations Church in Charlotte North Carolina he offered com- ments concern- ing racism and security in the churches and he had the courage to address and admit that part of the problem of ongoing racial tensions in America lies in the fact that pastors preachers and others address everything else except that black people continue to suffer under injustices unfairness and racist actions. This is also what he told us BOCN The recent church shooting in South Carolina - what does this mean and what has God laid on your heart about it The Bible says that when the sons of God came to worship Satan was in the midst so I believe this young man was possessed or demon con- trolled. I dont think he was crazy at all just crazy to do what he did but not mentally insane. I know that there is a fine line between trusting God to protect us and also realizing that we have to protect ourselves. So I think the Church has to rethink this whole security thing on a different level. The biggest issue is security on a practi- cal level and on a spiritual level since there are degrees of racism there is latent racism theres passive racism theres active racism and then theres institutionalized racism. I think a lot of the racism that still exists in America is latent and passive not necessarily active. When President Obama was elected a lot of this type of racism began to come forward. Also in recent years with black children being killed in the streets I just think there is a spirit we are fighting. For me Im not so much looking at the white man as much as Im looking at the spirits and principalities behind all this. Theres a lot more to it than what we see. BOCN So what should we do There are no clich answers. I think we should pray because there are no easy answers but one thing I do know is that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds meaning that we have to put on our spiritual weapons and the Church has to begin to model to the world not just integration but true reconciliation. A lot of black ministers always make it a thing of race and a lot of white ministers almost always ignore the racial compo- nent. As far as Im concerned neither one of them is right. There is definitely a racial component but its not always about race I think its deeper than that. The point I am making is that a lot of our white preachers and pastors are quick to denounce Obama quick to denounce so-called liberal policies the gay agenda and on and on and on but have absolutely nothing to say about what has been taking place in America as it relates to black people in the past 100 years. I think its inexcusable to cry out blasting Obama but not blast- ing the evils and injustices that are still taking place in our society against Black people. Deal With Monster Called Racism Pastor Ajala was born in Nigeria but he has been living in Denver for the past 21 years. He spoke out about the recent shooting in Charleston South Carolina with sincere grief and fairness. When I heard I was so sad and devas- tated that people can become so wicked and god- less that any- one can go to a church and per- petrate hate. The reason why Jesus Christ came is to show love - and then for someone to go to the House of God where love is to perpetrate hate is just unthinkable. However one should not be too worried about it because if people continually hide under the auspices of religion to perpetrate hate in the past and they continue to talk about it in the presence of their chil- dren the children will grow up think- ing they are doing God a favor. That boy did not just wake up and become a hate monger one night It is what he has been hearing amongst his people regardless whether it is black white or Hispanic. If we continue to put other people down in our homes we will grow monsters. That boy became a monster not overnight it is because of the value I can say very well 99 that he has been hearing from his family. I cannot believe any child 21 years old just suddenly becomes a rac- ist because if he had grown up in an atmosphere of love and prejudice was not there this would not have hap- pened. Now everyone is jumping on the bandwagon of pull down the flag but where were they before Is this new We should stop lying to each other. We should just REPENT I talked to one of my white brothers and he said We white people should repent of lying enough of lying Lets face the fact. They have been avoiding it and this is the product of what theyre having. However Pastor Ade is not looking to blame people or to just keep the same ol rhetoric going. Balance is necessary here and he forthrightly stated that the problems in this racially hateful situ- ation go both ways. Therefore Blacks must also do their part to stave off racism. It goes both ways We in the Black community too must stop per- petrating anything in our homes that would generate or promote hatred in the minds of the kids that are grow- ing up. I feel it is a wakeup call for the Church and if truly we are following a God of love then we should talk about it in the home and make sure our children buy into that vibe of love and racial equality. When we begin to do that at our kitchen table in our homes and take interest in other people then our children will grow up to love other people. Pastor Ade went on to point out that most of his childrens friends are people of other races. This he insists is because in his home he promoted racial equality and that we are all equal in the sight of God. And Pastor Ade has not lost hope. He says But one good thing coming out of this is that people are beginning to realize that it is time for us to rise up and come together and deal with this monster called racism in our community. Pastor Ade Ajala Kingdom Connection Christian Center A Cowardly Act Iwas devastated said Pastor Larry Washington. I dont know if there were many people who cried after that incident but I literally shed tears. It hit very close to home for me because in my church we had just finished discussing how other churches are arming themselves and I dont think that is necessary for us but I do believe there are some churches that may find it necessary. Pastor Washington said further that he doesnt think there will be more church violence in the future but that there may be others who try and copy the recent Charleston shooting. but hopefully they will not go through with it he lamented. Pastor Washington called the Charleston shooting a cowardly act. Here is a man so cowardly that he would shoot down unarmed people but his cow- ardice extended that he said he was going to turn the gun on himself and take his own life which he never did do - showed me that he was more of a coward than his display of shooting unarmed people. Pastor Larry Washington Consolation Christian Church Black in America With everything that has gone on this past week we continue to deal with the issue of what it means to be Black in America and we have been wrestling with that question however people choose to frame it. So we have this ongoing mantra after police shootings after any death of a Black person were asking ourselves and telling ourselves that Black lives matter. With the recent incident of the NAACP person being let go in Washington D.C. we didnt even have time to deal with her affirmation of what our Blackness really means. When you juxtapose her affirmation of our Blackness with this young man who did the shooting in Charleston it is two sides of the same coin that we have to deal with as a people and as a community What does it mean to be Black in America What are the ramifications what are the pressures and the things we have to deal with as a people a culture and a society We have to deal with the issues of our blackness and the country has to deal with it. Pastor Reginald Holmes New Covenant Christian Church Alpha Omega Ministries Real Evils are Ongoing Injustice for Blacks CHURCH SHOOTING We Need to Get on Our Feet and Act It is indeed tragic this shooting in Charleston possibly racially motivated because racism is evil in itself. And not only that it seems to not only be about rac- ism but this man went into the House of God and after sitting for about one hour of Bible study an evil man rose up when their eyes were closed and they were praying to dismiss - he killed men and women in cold blood. This is evil. We are fast approaching the end of the age and it is imperative that men and women of God every Christian not only get on their knees and pray but we need to get on our feet and act. That is going to be essential that we treat every man with love and kindness. I read in a report that the man said he almost did not do it because of how kind and how gentle and how well they treated him. I think that is something to be said that every Christian man and woman should treat every man they see with kindness. My motto is this Be the kindest person that you know. Pastor Hosea Cannon Jr. Greater Faith Community Church Chaplain Denver Detention Center