AN all white Baptist church that gained notoriety last week for try a ding to remove the body of a mixed race infant from its graveyard has refused to conduct a marriage ceremony for her parents, the Tallahassee Democrat reported yesterday.
Leaders of Barnetts Creek Baptist Church near Thomasville, Georgia, apologised to the family of the infant, Whitney Elaine Johnson, last week for asking that the baby be disinterred. The baby girl born without a skull.
Family members now say a church official has told them the child's mother, Jaime Wireman (18), and father, Jeffrey Johnson (25), will not be allowed to marry in the church, the newspaper reported. But asked if the child's parents had asked to be married in his church, Deacon Logan Lewis replied, "That's an absolute falsehood."
Ms Wireman's grandmother, Lila Wireman, said she called Deacon Lewis to ask if the couple could marry at the church. "He said he would not allow them to walk down the aisle of his church because they were sinners. He said the baby was born in sin."