CLEVELAND, TN: Dr. Timothy M. Hill, General Overseer of the Church of God, issued the following statement regarding the rally and violence that occurred today in Charlottesville, Virginia:
“First, the prayers of the Church of God around the world go out to those that were injured and lost their lives today in the senseless act of hatred and violence in Charlottesville.
While as a nation we support the right of freedom of speech and the right to freely assemble, racial hatred and bigotry should never be tolerated in any form. God created us ALL in His image and we are His children. Racial supremacy is not ordained by God and should never be condoned by the church or our society.
The words of the children’s song best sum up my thoughts – we are ALL precious in His sight, regardless of our skin color, because Jesus loves the little children of the world. It is time that the church – our church, the Church of God – recognizes that regardless of our skin color, we are all equal in the eyes of our sovereign God. God loves us equally and died on the cross so that we ALL could be saved. For us to treat a person differently because of their skin color flies in the face of everyone being equal at the foot of the cross.
I call on the church to join with me in prayer for healing and reconciliation for our nation. Only God can bring the deliverance that we need.”