Bishop Leonard Fairley, resident bishop of the South Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church, issued this statement in response to racist text messages that have been distributed to people of color in South Carolina:
Sisters and brothers in Christ,
You are likely aware of reports that racist text messages have been sent to students at Claflin University, a United Methodist-related school, and other colleges and universities in South Carolina and other states.
Local, state and federal law enforcement are investigating after several people of color – including children and college students – reported having received text messages informing them that have been “selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation.”
Friends, the first place where this should be condemned is in the church. We must raise our voices as one in rebuke and make it clear that there is no room for this in our nation.
We are better than this because the love of Christ compels us to be. We cannot and dare not allow our silence to be taken as complicity to embolden this kind of cowardly and hateful rhetoric.
Therefore, as your bishop and the shepherd of the flock in The South Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, I am calling on every church, every pastor and every church leader to speak out against these kinds of vitriolic, offensive and hurtful statements.
Our work in combating evil and injustice must become more vigilant – especially in the season in which we now find ourselves. It really is not a matter of what happened in the election, people voted and the majority of those who went to the polls has spoken.
However, we must never forget that our ultimate allegiance should always be to Jesus Christ, not to some political figure.
The prophet Isaiah says it correctly, “…authority rests upon his shoulder; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6).
I know without a doubt that this kind of evil, racism and hatred breaks the heart of God. I pray that we would let the love, justice and peace of Jesus Christ enter our hearts, and allow us to see what breaks God’s heart – and then let it break our hearts as well.
In Christ,
Bishop Leonard Fairley
