Rev. Greg T. Mathis

Partial Transcript: Church was a place people came together for more than worship. Town Hall, recreation, fellowship, not just religion. People outside of cities were more self-sufficient and grew their own food so they were less impacted by depression, not as much as in cities.

Keywords: Town Hall; not just religion; worship

Partial Transcript: I was doing sermons about how should Christians live and look. How Christians should look in serving people and with their enemies and on issues such as alcohol and different things. I made a legal pad of issues. Knew I needed to deal with issues of race and prejudice against any people: Muslim, Christian, blacks. The graveyard has burials from 200 and more years ago. It was a community cemetery that included slaves and all kinds of people. Written records from 1867 use language I would be uncomfortable with today.

Keywords: Christians; community cemetery; race and prejudice; sermons

Subjects: How Christians should look in serving people and with their enemies and on issues such as alcohol and different things.

Partial Transcript: Black people were not allowed to worship but if they did they had to sit in the back pew and give up their seat if a white person needed.

Keywords: worship

Partial Transcript: Shortly after that the Mud Creek Baptist Missionary Church was established over there. We have had a cordial relationship and I preached on several occasions. But I felt we needed to apologize for what had happened. After thinking and praying about it, I wrote a letter to extend that apology to them. Need to apologize for the prejudice of early times.

Keywords: apologize; cordial relationship; Mud Creek Baptist Missionary Church

Subjects: Need to apologize for the prejudice of early times.

Partial Transcript: Worship together was the goal. The most segregated part of worship is 11:00 Sunday. We work together and go to school together, but not worship together. Style of worship is different in black and white churches meaning people may be comfortable with different worship services. Mud Creek has people of many ethnic backgrounds. Want to break down barriers.

Keywords: ethnic backgrounds; segregated; Worship

Subjects: Worship together

Partial Transcript: Maybe not making as much progress as we should. Three services first two are traditional services and attended by people 40 years and older. The last service is contemporary and more young families and people attend. When we extended our apologies, the older people understood because they remembered.

Keywords: contemporary; traditional services; progress

Subjects: What can Mud Creek Baptist Church do to address these issues?

Partial Transcript: Younger people have not seen as much racism and are more accepting and respectful of different people. Not as dramatic a change as we want to see. Need to be respectful of people. I would fight for people to have their own ideas even about religion. I don’t want Christians picked on or Muslim or Black people. Be respectful of one another. Generate an atmosphere of respect and acceptance

Keywords: Black people; Christians; Muslim; respectful; racism

Subjects: I would fight for people to have their own ideas even about religion.

Partial Transcript: We invited the congregation of Mud Creek Baptist Missionary Church to meet with us to see the video with my apology. Our congregation wiped tears; Rev Tolleson’s congregation wiped away tears. They were happy that someone like me would address this. I may get criticism but I think it is what God would expect me to do. We have 4000 people now in a spirit of love and acceptance. I will keep preaching this message until I am 75. I can’t do everything but I can call attention to what needs to be done. Can’t save all the starfish, but if you save one, that is one.

Keywords: God; congregation; love and acceptance.; apology

Subjects: Can’t save all the starfish, but if you save one, that is one.

Partial Transcript: We have a television ministry extending that message into neighboring states. I am writing a book about what a Christian should look like. I am doing what I can to make a difference.

Keywords: television ministry

Subjects: I am doing what I can to make a difference.