Local pastors react to Aryan Nations settling in Sabine Parish

Assoc. Pastor Derek Joyce( First United Methodist Church) and Pastor Tony Lewis (Pineville B.C.)

CONVERSE, LA (KSLA) - The leader of the Aryan Nations, Morris Gulett, a self-proclaimed leader and pastor, claims the Bible makes it clear that the white race is superior: "Blacks by and large aren't as intelligent as Anglo Saxons."

Gulett, a native of Monroe, Louisiana had just recently returned to Louisiana after a stint in prison and has now set up the Aryan Nations headquarters in Converse, Louisiana.

Whether behind bars or in Converse, Gulett made it quite clear why he puts his color of skin ahead of all others - namely blacks, Hispanics and Jews.

"Deuteronomy chapter 28 states, one of the cursing is a stranger you'll allow to remain among you and will get above you very high and down low," said Gulett.

Local pastors, however, call his views a complete distortion of the Word of God. "It's ludicrous," says Pastor Tony Lewis of Pineville Baptist Church. Pastor Lewis and First United Methodist Church Associate Pastor Derek Joyce recently sat down to listen to what Gulett had to say in his interview with KSLA News 12's Doug Warner.

The two pastors listened to Gulett's proclamations and shared their concerns with what many experts label as 'Christian Identity', which is defined as, 'an extremist group's attempt to sell its message by using the Bible'. Joyce says Gulett's "view of God is fundamentally wrong and view of scripture, fundamentally wrong."

Northwestern State Criminal Justice Professor, Bill Sexton says there was a time the Ku Klux Klan, Neo Nazis and other white supremacists groups didn't get along at all, until leaders began identifying their racist beliefs through scripture.

"Once they all got under the 'Christian Identity' umbrella, they all became meshed," said Sexton.

In his interview with Doug Warner, Gulett asserts that "when father God created Adam in his image, creation of a race, he was a white man."

To which Pastor Lewis responds, "Brother Joyce is my brother, not because of his skin color, but because of the blood of Jesus."

Both pastors strongly felt the story of Adam proves nothing to support a white supremacy on Earth.

"Adam in the Bible was of Middle Eastern origin," said Pastor Joyce. "Don't you think the first person created looked more Palestinian than the American white male?"

In that same interview with Gulett, the idea that Jesus was a Jew was brought up, to which Gulett replied, "Revelations says I am root and offspring of David," Jesus Christ is the son of God, not a Jew."

Pastor Joyce noted, "Jesus was a Jew, can't separate him from the culture that he was born." Pastor Lewis agreed with Pastor Lewis, "Jesus was a Jew, it is what it is, and rhetoric spewing doesn't match up."

KSLA News 12's Doug Warner also asked Gulett what he thought about the fact that most mainstream religious leaders would think he's got it all wrong.

"A lot of them are lacking in biblical knowledge," Gulett answered. "I've had them admit it to me before."

"When folks like Mr. Gulett interpret scripture through filter or lenses, they're always going to manipulate facts and scriptures to make it say what they want it to say," said Pastor Joyce.

"We understand freedom of speech, whether ignorant or racist or right or wrong," Lewis added.

Pastors Lewis and Joyce feel the Aryan Nations and other racist groups simply reach out and target the emotionally weak.

Yet, both pastors say they believe they could reach Gulett, if given the chance. "I believe with God, all things are possible," says Joyce.

Now, all DeSoto Parish pastors will be meeting to address Gulett's statements.

In a statement released Tuesday morning announcing the meeting, they say "As the pastors of this Parish, we do not agree with any white supremacy group nor their beliefs that they say stem from the Holy Bible. The Pastors will release statements concerning the misrepresentation of Christianity by this white supremacy group and its leaders. There will be statements concerning the racism that is trying to be refueled in this Parish and surrounding Parishes. We will not allow hatred to be refueled in this Parish. This group is a threat to our community, to our Parish, as well as to our society. We will not procrastinate because we are unified against this hierarchy."

The meeting will take place at Noon on Wednesday, February 15 in the Temple of Knowledge Church Sanctuary at 228 Kyle Porter Road in Mansfield.

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