First Methodist Church pastor issues statement on injunction concerning Pride event at Civic Center

Statement on City Injunction
To: Members of First Methodist Downtown Jackson
From: Sky McCracken, Pastor
RE: Injunction for 10/9 Pride Event at the Civic Center

Dear Church Family:

Several of you have contacted me and other church officers regarding the recent news of a filed injunction against the City of Jackson. Yesterday (media) printed an article that stated legislators in Madison County and a number of members of the First United Methodist Church filed a request for an injunction against the city of Jackson.

I was not contacted by the (media), nor were any other church officials.

To be clear: our church has not filed an injunction with the city of Jackson. Individual church members, exercising their First Amendment rights, filed the injunction, as they have the right to do.

The only body that can file a legal complaint on behalf of any United Methodist Church is its Board of Trustees. Our Board of Trustees did not file a complaint, and had no plans to file a complaint. While I was asked if I would be willing to sign the complaint, I declined, as (1) I do not have any authority to sign or initiate legal or financial matters in the church’s name, and (2) I am the pastor and shepherd to a much larger church, not just to parts of it.

As a church in the United States, we hold in tension everyone’s First Amendment rights with striving to be a diverse and inclusive congregation. We seek to model Christ and his love and acceptance above all things – even above family, country, and politics. I know that some of our members fear this legal action inflicts further pain upon our friends in the LGBTQ+ community, and I ask for the forgiveness for all those affected.

Our task as a faith community is to be bridge builders towards reconciliation, understanding, and love. I believe we realize that is a sacred calling and sometimes we have fallen short. We as church are unified in the essentials of our faith—that we love the Lord our God with all of our hearts, souls, and minds, and that we love our neighbors as ourselves. I pray that our community knows that the recent legal injunction, while reflecting the views of some of our church family, does not reflect the entirety of our church family.

Be swift to love, and make haste to be kind.

Sky McCracken
Pastor, First Methodist Downtown Jackson
[email protected]

(PHOTO: Sky McCracken)