Woodfin Condemns Birmingham Pastor's Racist Message

BIRMINGHAM, AL - The pastor at a traditionally African American church in Birmingham is angry about black people attending "white churches," and made his message clear on the sign outside New Era Baptist Church. The Rev. Michael R. Jordan is angry about what he refers to as a "white church" opening a satellite campus in a black neighborhood, and Birmingham mayor Randall Woodfin took to social media to condemn Jordan's message.

Jordan is not happy about the Church of the Highlands - a church he refers to as a "white church" - wanting to add a satellite campus in the West End neighborhood of Birmingham, and told a WVTM reporter he has a message to all black churchgoers attending white churches: "Leave now."

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His message on the marquee sign in front of his church reads: "Black Folks Need To Stay Out Of White Churches."

Woodfin posted a comment along with a photo of the sign on Twitter Wednesday morning, saying, "There is a spirit of racism and division that is over this city. It must be brought down. We have to change the conversation to what we need it to evolve into."

Woodfin's tweet sparked an online discussion that even included input from congressional candidate and former Miss America Mallory Hagan, who asked Woodfin to work with her on changing the narrative this pastor is relaying.

The Church of the Highlands is Birmingham's largest church, with 16 branch locations that attract more than 40,000 members. Jordan takes exception to the church attempting to enter black communities because he said he resents that white residents moved out of the inner city and into the suburbs, and have made it clear they do not want to go to school with, work with or attend church with black residents.

That message is reflected on the other side of the marquee sign, which says, "White Folks Refused to Be Our Neighbors."

Jordan's comments have sparked cries of reverse racism, segregation and hatred. But Jordan has taken the stance that it is a message also about gentrification. His view is that Church of the Highlands aims to take away black congregation members, which will leave traditionally black churches to suffer.

"Because of white flight and societal change where whites left the city, they did not want to be our neighbors, did not want their kids to go to school with our children," Jordan said in an interview with Alabama Media Group. "They left the churches too. They sold the churches to us. White folks don't want to be our neighbors. If you don't want to be our neighbor, why do you feel comfortable putting a white church in the inner city? Their response is we will have a black pastor. He'll be a token. They'll still control the sermons, they'll still control the choir, the white administrative leadership will still run the church."

Photo by Michael Seale

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