This Lavington church has ruffled feathers in the community for this message.
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June 29, 2020 - 2:13 PM
Lavington residents are raising concerns about a message posted outside a local church that they feel is out of step with the times.
The sign at Lavington Baptist Church goes as so: “Mobs: Gullible, easily manipulated, irrational. Acts 19:23-41, 21:34-36.”
“It just didn’t sit well with me when I saw it,” Josh Wade, a neighbourhood resident said, adding that it seems apparent to him that it’s about the Black Lives Matters protests that have swept the globe.
His wife took picture, posted it to the community Facebook page with the message, “seems to denounce protesting against racism and murder,” and the conversation took off.
Neighbours discussed the place of the church within the community and others delved into a debate about the scripture referenced — it has to do with the confusion spread through sizeable gatherings.
One common strain in the conversation, however, is that many see it as unwelcome commentary on the Black Lives Matters protests.
“It’s just off putting,” Wade said. “With everything going on right now, saying mobs are gullible and irrational — why would you say something like that?”
If nothing else, he said, advocating for inclusivity should be the church’s role. This is a view many community members shared on Facebook, with some noting that it prompted conversations within their families about Black Lives Matters.
“You think the church would be somewhere welcoming and accepting of everyone, regardless of gender, race or sexual orientation... it should be a safe place for people to go to and this messaging doesn’t look that way,” he said.
While the church didn’t directly speak to the message they posted, they did say they change the board every week and indicated this week’s message may just be a coincidence.
“We have been systematically going through the book of Acts for some time. There are sermons already posted dealing with the topic of riots/mobs as they previously came up,” the church responded in an email.
Black Lives Matters protests have continued for a month. They were sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of U.S. police 25 May and have turned into a call to crush systemic racial inequality worldwide.
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