CRESTVIEW — After mainly black and white area churches got together for a successful youth day earlier this summer, local pastors say it’s time for the parents to play nicely, too.
“Pastor Sanford Hayes (of New Life Missionary Baptist Church) suggested a black-and-white youth revival. We had 150 or so black and white teenagers attend,” Dr. Eugene Strickland, president of the Okaloosa Baptist Association, said.
“It worked out real great. Black kids and white kids played games in Spanish Trail Park and really had a great time,” Strickland said. “A half-dozen or so accepted Jesus as their savior.”
Strickland said Hayes originally suggested the idea of mainly black and white congregations socializing “in light of everything that’s been going on,” referring to racial strife in some parts of the country.
“Sanford called me awhile ago and said we need to be working on some other things now,” Strickland said.
Strickland told Hayes and the Rev. Dwight Baggett, pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church, that since churches in the Baptist Association have held periodic barbecue cook-offs, the event could be opened to all churches as a “Black-and-White BBQ Cook-off.”
“They liked the idea,” Strickland said. “It will bring black and white churches together.”
The clergymen chose Oct. 22 for the Spanish Trail Park event. Call 682-5434 for more information on this event in development.
Local churches are invited to participate in a multi-racial barbecue cook-off bringing congregations of all ethnicities together. Oct. 22. Judging: 5 p.m. Dinner: 5:30 or 6 p.m. Spanish Trail Park, Industrial Drive at Stillwell Avenue. To sign up or for information: Dr. Gene Strickland, Okaloosa Baptist Association, 682-5434.
CHURCH PIT MASTERS WANTED
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview area pastors plan 'Black-and-White BBQ Cook-off'