"Born of Conviction" with Joe Reiff

Mississippi’s history with slavery, segregation, and racism has deep roots, and has caused--and continues to cause--immense turmoil and violence. We like to think we’ve moved past it, but we haven’t. There is still work to do, and we can begin that work by looking to the leaders of the past, and take to heart what Jesus has tried, over and over again, to teach us.Today’s guest helps us grapple with that history, and shares the story of a group of Methodist ministers who took a stand against racism and segregation in the 1960s. Joe Reiff, retired professor of religion at Emory & Henry College and ordained United Methodist minister, is the author of Born of Conviction: White Methodists and Mississippi’s Closed Society. This book tells the story of 28 white Methodist pastors who wrote a letter in response to white resistance to the civil rights movement in Mississippi. Their action against racism in the Mississippi Methodist church held consequences for them, as well as for white and Black Methodists in the state. The signers of Born of Conviction were:Jerry FurrMaxie D. DunnamJim L. WaitsO. Gerald TriggJames B. NicholsonBuford A. DickinsonJames S. ConnerJ. W. HolstonJames P. RushEdward W. McRaeJoseph C. WayWallace E. RobertsSummer WaltersBill LamptonMarvin MoodyKeith TonkelJohn Ed ThomasInman Moore, Jr.Denson NapierRod EntrekinHarold RykerN. A. DicksonNed KellarPowell HallElton BrownBufkin OliverJack TroutmanWilton CarterThe full Born of Conviction statement can be found here.Buy a copy of Born of Conviction: White Methodists and Mississippi’s Closed Society here.Follow Joe on Facebook.