Which Church is Hosting the
Sons of Confederate Veterans in 2016?
The
Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) is having their 2016 national convention in
Richardson, TX on July 13-17, 2016 http://www.scv2016.org/. Unlike
past practice, but as in 2014 the SCV is going into stealth mode and is not
announcing at which church their memorial service will be.
A
campaign is underway to convince churches in the Dallas, Texas area not to host
or lend their facilities to the SCV. A reasonable person would see that it is a
racist and extremist organization by any reasonable standard which is
documented at http://www.blackcommentator.com/526/526_confederacy_sebesta_guest_share.html. The
campaign to get churches not to host neo-Confederate groups is documented at http://www.templeofdemocracy.com/churches-of-the-confederacy.html and the
Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/events/412080045663443/.
However
certain denominations have past records of hosting neo-Confederate groups.
SOUTHERN BAPTISTS: They
hosted the 2014 SCV national convention. It is documented online here. http://www.timesexaminer.com/historical/1914-2014-national-reunion-of-sons-of-confederate-veterans. A
letter was written to the president of the Southern Baptists and copied to all
60 plus board members. http://www.templeofdemocracy.com/southern-baptist-convention.html. There
was no reply. A letter was recently sent
to the head of the Southern Baptists in Texas and all the board members and
hopefully there will some response. Correspondence online at http://www.templeofdemocracy.com/richardson-texas-2016.html.
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH:
Historically they have frequently hosted SCV events. (See enclosed Bar Graph.) In 2014 the former
Bishop of Dallas was written but there was no reply. A letter was recently sent
to Bishop Ferrell and hopefully there will be a reply. Correspondence online at
http://www.templeofdemocracy.com/richardson-texas-2016.html.
EPISCOPAL CHURCH: Historically
they have frequently hosted SCV events (See enclosed Bar Graph). In 2014 the
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas was written and the reply was that he
didn’t know of any church hosting the SCV, but he didn’t say that a church
wouldn’t. Bill Murchison, contributor to Southern Partisan and former board
member of the Texas League of the South is influential in the Episcopal Diocese
of Dallas. A follow up letter has been sent to Bishop Summer and hopefully
there will be a more definitive reply. Correspondence online at http://www.templeofdemocracy.com/richardson-texas-2016.html.
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: They
haven’t hosted too many SCV events, but many of their churches host SCV monthly
meetings (See enclosed Excel sheet). The UMC has hosted national events for the
United Daughters of the Confederacy repeatedly despite correspondence asking
them not to. http://www.templeofdemocracy.com/united-methodist-church.html.
The North
Texas Conference Bishop McKee was written to in 2014, recently a follow up
letter has been sent and hopefully there will be a reply. Correspondence online at http://www.templeofdemocracy.com/richardson-texas-2016.html.
PRESBYTERIAN USA: They are in the top four of hosting national
neo-Confederate convention events. (See enclosed Bar Graph.) The 1st
Presbyterian Church in Texarkana, AR, lent their facilities to the Children of
the Confederacy national convention in 2015. Presbyterian Voices for Justice has raise the issue (See http://www.pv4j.org/network-news/new-network-news-june-2015.pdf)
but it remains to be seen if the Presbyterian USA church will give up the
Confederacy. Correspondence in 2014 went unanswered. Hopefully they will
respond to a recent letter sent in 2016. Correspondence
online at http://www.templeofdemocracy.com/richardson-texas-2016.html.
OTHER DENOMINATIONS: From
the Bar Graphs you can see that other denominations have also hosted
neo-Confederate events. Additionally certain Christian Reconstructionist groups
and reactionary Presbyterian denominations have had an affinity for the
Confederacy.
The
article, "The US Civil War as A Theological War: Confederate Christian
Nationalism and the League of the South," in the Canadian Review of American Studies, Vol. 32 No. 3, pp. 253-284, describes
these conservative denominations. (Available online at: http://www.templeofdemocracy.com/ConfederateChristianNationalism.pdf).
As some
denominations stop hosting neo-Confederate groups others may step in to take
their place. Remember it might be your
church, ask and find out.
CORRESPONDANCE DOCUMENTED ONLINE:
As other
religious leaders, denominations, churches and anti-racist groups are written
to the correspondence will be online at: http://www.templeofdemocracy.com/richardson-texas-2016.html.
Additionally documentation can be sent via Cloud Services to those interested.
CONTACT:
Ed
Sebesta can be contacted by email at edwardsebesta@gmail.com.
His curriculum vitae is enclosed. He was recently awarded the Spirit of Freedom
medal by the African American Civil War Museum and is published by university
presses, peer-reviewed academic journals, and Black Commentator. http://www.templeofdemocracy.com/curriculum-vitae.html.
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