Pastor sees prayer as a black-and-white matter_11204

Posted: 1/09/04

Pastor sees prayer as a black-and-white matter

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

KIRBYVILLE–Prayer is as simple as black and white for Charles Burchett, pastor of First Baptist Church of Kirbyville.

Several years ago, the self-described battler embarked on a fight without knowing where it would take him. He noticed an unusual number of traffic accidents were occurring in the small East Texas town. Coupled with the accidents was a disproportionate number of deaths.

He gathered his fellow pastors, and they began to pray about the situation every Friday. Within 10 months, the number of accidents decreased greatly. But Burchett continued praying.

He became impressed that the vehicle deaths were related to racial tension in the area. He started praying about what to do about it and encouraged his congregation to do the same.

Prayer became the foundation of the congregation, Burchett noted. Members remodeled some of their facilities to have a prayer room. The congregation holds Wednesday evening prayer services about community issues. Prayer is interspersed throughout the church's services and meetings.

Focused prayer is one of the 11 characteristics of a healthy church adopted by the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

The prayer time grew to a full-fledged spiritual battle against racism, according to Burchett. But rather than praying for God to punish racists, the congregation asked God to heap blessings upon racists.

Burchett, an Anglo who serves as prayer chairman for Sabine Neches Baptist Area, invited African-American pastors to speak at his church, and he went to several predominantly African-American events.

“In war against the spirit of darkness, you have to do so in the opposite spirit or you're actually fighting for them,” said Buchett, a BGCT regional prayer coordinator.

When James Byrd, an African-American, was killed in 1998 by three white men who dragged him behind their truck near Jasper, located 19 miles north of Kirbyville, Burchett enlisted a group of pastors from Jasper and Newton to speak out against the racially motivated crime.

A week later, the pastor was called to speak at the Texas Republican Party Prayer Breakfast in Fort Worth, where he repented for the way Anglos have treated African-Americans.

After that, he was invited to speak at a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's counter assembly to the Ku Klux Klan's gathering in Jasper. There he repented on his hands and knees for how the “white church” treated African-Americans.

Many in the audience wept loudly.

Burchett's actions drew sharp criticism from many in East Texas. Rumors swirled about him, he said, but the pastor continued his outspoken behavior, believing he was following God's direction.

“Jesus has won the victory for us, but we have to work through the process,” he said. “It is work. It is a battle. The hard part is sometimes the enemy has a human face.”

In 2003, 21 Anglo pastors, including Burchett, and their wives invited a group of African-American pastors and their wives to dinner at First Baptist Church. The Anglos served the African-Americans a “lavish dinner” and waited on them.

The Anglos ate in the kitchen, alley or not at all, much like African-Americans were pushed away from dinner tables in the past.

Many of the African-American pastors and their wives broke into tears, he said.

The meal was followed by a united worship service. Burchett led the Anglos to repent on their knees for their race's treatment of African-Americans.

At Thanksgiving this year, African-Americans and Anglos had a large organized meal together for the first time in Kirbyville's recent history. More than half the pastors at the First Baptist Church dinner were African-American.

Burchett said he believes his actions under the direction of God are creating an “atmosphere of righteousness” that will affect the unrighteous. African-Americans feel more comfortable at his church now than any time during his 25-year tenure leading the congregation, he said.

Anglos are becoming more open to African-Americans, and many are reconsidering their preconceived notions, Burchett said. Black resentment and anger over past treatment at the hands of whites also appears on the downslide. But the pastor continues his work.

“Hearing the Lord and doing what he says has opened doors, but it's all based on prayer,” Burchett said.