Political divide in Churches brings calls for unity
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(MERCER COUNTY) - Many people call it a divide. I don t know how you can divide something that s never been unified. I don t think we ve ever been unified, Pastor Frederick M. Brown of the Faith Center Church in Bluefield, West Virginia said.
Brown is sharing his reaction to another local pastor attending the Trump rally in Washington that ended in riot and insurrection in January. I don t want to judge Pastor Bradford s heart. As I have been very clear, I don t know him that well, I have spoken with him, and told him he s my brother. I love you as a brother in the lord, however I believe Pastor Bradford s presence in Washington sends a clear message to this region of the country that he s very bias in his political views, and he has no problems implementing them into his worship experience and I m challenged with that, Brown said.
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. (AP) If you’re Christian in Bluefield and most everyone is, in this small city tucked into the Appalachian Mountains you have your choice. You can follow Pastor Doyle.
Bluefield, W.Va.
If you’re Christian in Bluefield – and most everyone is, in this small city tucked into the Blue Ridge Mountains – you have your choice.
You can follow Pastor Doyle Bradford of Father’s House International Church, who has forcefully backed former President Donald Trump – doubting Mr. Trump’s defeat in November and joining some congregants at the Jan. 6 “Save America” rally that degenerated into the Capitol riot.
Or you can go less than three miles away next to the rail yard, to Faith Center Church, where Pastor Frederick Brown regards Mr. Bradford as a brother – but says he’s seriously mistaken. Or you can venture up East River Mountain to Crossroads Church, where Pastor Travis Lowe eschews Mr. Bradford’s fiery political rhetoric, seeking paths to Christian unity.
Three West Virginia churches have much in common. All of them condemn the desecration of the Capitol and pray for a way to find common ground. But they diverge on a central issue: What is the role of evangelical Christianity in America's divisive politics?