They’ve been silent for months but after a brawl broke out between several Church of Wells members and the community at the annual homecoming parade over the weekend the church is speaking out.
The community says they’re tired of their preaching and wish that law enforcement could do more. Both church elder Sean Morris and church member Taylor Clifton were assaulted on Saturday.
Law enforcement had to use pepper spray to stop the fight between angry parents and members of the Church of Wells.
Witnesses told the East Texas News that the church members were yelling and preaching at children, telling them that they were going to hell but the church says that the group was mostly adults and they were not targeting children.
What started out as a celebratory parade turned violent when Wells community members started throwing punches after members of the Church of Wells came to the festivities singing hymns and preaching.
Witnesses and law enforcement both say church members were yelling at kids but church elder Sean Morris says that’s not the case.
“We don’t insult people. We don’t call them names,” said Morris. “We don’t hurl insults. We don’t focus upon young children. Now those older than four or five you know into the years of the knowledge of good and evil, if they have that knowledge. I’ll preach to anyone.”
But parents didn’t feel that way.
Jeffrey Brotherton was at the parade with his 4-year-old daughter and says a member of the church came right up to his daughter and told her she was going to hell.
“Numerous [of us] have asked them several times you know please stop you know this is not suitable for our children,” said Brotherton. “Telling them that they were blaspheming and that they were going to hell because they were sinning.”
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SOURCE: KTRE
Leigha Hughes
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