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Glenwood church draws attention for Charlottesville response

Posted at 10:48 PM, Aug 16, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-17 10:10:25-04

A Glenwood, Iowa, church is getting a lot of attention after they responded to what happened in Charlottesville, Va., this past weekend.

The First Christian Church of Glenwood put up a sign on Saturday saying, “White supremacy is sin. Say it.” The Pastor of the church tweeted a picture of the sign out and received thousands of likes and retweets.

“I think it is great, I think he put in words how a lot of people feel,” Virginia Sheets said.

Her daughter, Brandy Hall, shared the message on Facebook and other social media. 

Hall said she was surprised at the attention the sign is getting.

“Not very often do we get on the map — we are on the map for this,” she said. “Maybe it will make them think, 'We are one nation under God.' ”

Sheets, who goes to the church, also in support of the signs message but worried about any possible backlash. 

“I don’t think I want it to go where people that aren’t for it," Sheets said. "The supremacists are going to start doing things we don’t approve of.” 

There were others in town who disagree with putting up the sign.

“By talking about it we are promoting it,” Gene Thrasher said. “There is always going to be rotten apples, but that is a part of life; you give your attention to it or you don’t.”

Hall said so far she hasn’t seen negative comments on Facebook. 

“It says in the bible we are not to treat people bad so I am all for it,” she said. 

Pastor Evan Welcher said he wanted to share the message because he is a white preacher in a predominately white church — that he didn’t want to complicate the issue and focus on loving your neighbor.