A Black pastor at a North Carolina church asked that only white people greet churchgoers for the fall season, saying "first impressions matter," Newsmax reported.
An email to church volunteers from Pastor Makeda Pennycooke, an African American woman, of Freedom Church House in Charlotte was leaked this week, paying attention to the different races of the congregation.
"We anticipate having an increase in the number of people visiting and attending Freedom House over the next few weeks," the email said. "We are continuing to work to bring our racial demographic pendulum back to mid-line, so we would like to ask that only white people be on the front doors...We would rather have less greeters on the front door if it means that the few that we have will represent us the best."
Carmen Thomas, a member of the church, told local news station WBTV she was shocked by Pennycooke's idea.
"I was floored," Thomas said. "Like it was a jaw dropper. You can put a white face all over the front door. But when you come through those doors, you're going to see African Americans, you're gonna see Asians. You're going to see people of color."
Thomas said she saw right through the pastor's words.
"Too black," she said. "It wasn't a conclusion that I drew. It was something I read."
After the pastor's controversial email went viral, the church issued an apology to their members.
"The email was sent by one of our longtime pastors in an attempt to emphasize that our greeting team reflect the racial diversity of our entire congregation," the statement said. "However, [Pennycooke] admitted it was a mistake to over-emphasize any specific group. She admits this was a grave lapse in judgment and is sincerely sorry for her actions."
The statement also said Senior Pastors Troy and Penny Maxwell were meeting with members of the church to deal with the issue, working to prevent any similar situations in the future and remain committed to diversity.
