How two Bluffton churches are teaching the nation to love rather than hate

The whole world watched as seething racial hatred erupted in Charlottesville last weekend.

Perhaps few will take notice, but an antidote is being offered this weekend in Bluffton.

It’s a church picnic open to the public, sponsored by a mostly white church and a mostly black church.

The biracial picnic will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday in the front yard at First Zion Missionary Baptist Church on Wharf Street.

It was in the works long before the hideous display of hatred by white supremacists in Virginia.

As a nation, or as Beaufort County, we should examine chapter and verse of how the picnic came about and why.

People of different colors simply sat together, talked together, studied Scripture together, ate together.

This doesn’t happen very often, even among people who are not haters. So it was an eye-opener.

From it, came this “how-to” manual for change.

The union was pushed by leaders at the two churches, the Rev. Bennie L. Jenkins at First Zion and the Rev. Daniel Burbage at St. Andrew.

“In May, our two churches held a joint Bible study,” Burbage said.

“This study came as a result of our ‘Bridge Builders’ committee and their desire to build bridges between churches and races in our community.”

Through a member, St. Andrew connected with First Zion.

“As a result, Pastor Bennie Jenkins and I started meeting regularly and developed a Bible study on the Book of Acts where we focused on the purpose of the church and how the Holy Spirit moves us to break down barriers so that we can be the community of faith that Jesus initiated.”

The Bible study went through the month of May. They alternated churches, and concluded with a potluck meal together.

They discovered new ways to look at old Scriptures. And it also got personal.

“The amazing thing is we have become good friends and discovered we have a lot in common,” Burbage said of his fellow pastor.

The two are about the same age and grew up not far apart. Burbage, whose family used to run The Beaufort Gazette, grew up in Sheldon, and Jenkins is from Grays Hill.

All of this led them to sponsor the picnic. It’s open to everyone. Those who can are asked to bring a side dish and an item to help stock First Zion’s food pantry.

“The picnic was originally intended to be an opportunity for our churches to bring the community of faith together through food; fellowship; games; a blessing of students, teachers and school staff; as well as an opportunity to collect food for First Zion’s food pantry,” Burbage said.

“We are still planning on all these things.

“However, given what just happened in Charlottesville, I believe this event is especially timely. It will be an opportunity for all of us to grow closer as a community and to show others that we are called to live our life of faith together as we are called to be people of Christ’s peace and Christ’s love.

“As you know, good things always happen when church communities get together with food, fellowship and prayer. Our hope is that we can take a stand and respond to the negativity in the world through love and peace.”

Jenkins talks of a light much brighter than the primitive torches and behavior seen in Charlottesville.

“Jesus taught such great principles,” he said, “in what we know as the Beatitudes in the Gospel according to Matthew 5:14-16, where He says to us, ‘You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.’

“I believe that our expression and love for each other is a great example of true discipleship. Jesus says, ‘By this you may know my disciples, those who have love for the brethren.’ One light shines dimly in such great darkness (which is the condition of a fallen world), but imagine many of those small lights coming together as one. We then become that city on the hill that gives light to the whole community.

“This is what we will represent at Sunday evening’s picnic.”

This story was originally published August 15, 2017 at 12:02 PM with the headline "How two Bluffton churches are teaching the nation to love rather than hate."