Vandals destroy banners promoting BLM and progressive values at an Annandale church
Someone tore down banners at Little River United Church of Christ in Annandale during the night of Sunday, Aug. 13.
One banner said “Black Lives Matter.” The other said “Be the church” and had a number of phrases, including “fight for the powerless,” “forgive often,” “protect the environment,” “care for the poor,” “reject racism,” “embrace diversity,” and “love God.”
Staff discovered the vandalism when they arrived at the church, at 8410 Little River Turnpike, on Monday morning.
It looked like someone used a knife to cut the banners off the metal structures, says Rev. Shelli Poe. The banners were taken away, with only the remnants left.
There is no surveillance footage of the incident. The church has a security camera on the building, but doesn’t have one facing the road. The Fairfax County Police Department is investigating the incident.
Little River United Church of Christ is known for its progressive values. “We value independent thought, diversity, and faithful action to establish a just world for all,” Poe says.
Related story: Jewish community center and church attacked with racist, Anti-Semitic graffiti
“The church was founded as a desegrated congregation in 1955 when segregation was the law of the land,” Poe says. In 1982, the church ordained Rev. Anne Holmes. the first gay clergyperson in the country,
“We are building on our history of racial justice and LGBTQ rights,” she says. “We are trying to confront white supremacy wherever we find it. We would love for folks to join us.”
Little River United Church of Christ and the Jewish Community Center on Little River Turnpike were vandalized with racist and anti-Semitic graffiti in April 2017.
Dylan Mahone of Annandale was arrested for felony destruction of property, placing a swastika on religious property with the intent to intimidate, and wearing a mask in public to conceal one’s identity. He was sentenced to 21 months in jail.
After that event, community members, congregants, and public officials came together for a CommUNITY rally at the JCC to denounce hate and support one another in solidarity.
17 responses to “Vandals destroy banners promoting BLM and progressive values at an Annandale church”
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People should not be doing this.
However, this isn’t a church, it’s a social justice organization.
And who gave you the authority to decide that? The entire Southern Baptist convention is a weaponized political organization but nobody has done anything to them.
Southern black churches were relnown civil rights groups. Just look at MLK and same in the southern with southern racists there have been also reactionaries using their church
Not to mention what the Catholic church has been throughout its violent history.
Every church *ought* to be a “social Justice organization” if they are serious about the word of Jesus Christ.
The gospel of Christ should be the preoccupation and primary focus of every church.
Social justice is what naturally follows but Christ Himself did not make social issues His platform. He loved, He healed, He saved, He’s coming again.
If he sees you, he’ll say, “If you spent all that time reading the Bible and kneeling in prayer, how did you fail to realize that one of my central messages WAS to seek justice for the poor and oppressed? All those pew splinters in your backside did them absolutely no good–and it was a big waste of your time, too.”
Social justice is a widely accepted postulate of JC’s teaching and actions. What do you think you know about the real JC and the reason he was crucified, Person?
How long have you lived in this country? Christians do NOT have the monopoly on churches in the USA. There are tens of millions of American citizens here that do NOT believe the gospels your religion choose to believe. Our numbers are increasing everyday, partially due to the rantings of believers such as yourself.
BTW JC was brought to prosecution because he vandalized merchants wares and disrupted their sales, profits of which the Pharisees shared. Of course his rebellious teachings were threatening to the Romans, their Jewish client king Herod, and the Pharisees. He was convicted and sentenced to crucifixion as all rebels back in the day. In those times rebels were called “thieves”.
Come to a Sunday worship service and see gor yourself how much of a church it is.
It has clergy. It has Church in the name. What else does it need?
A reminder- in case you needed one- that hate still resides among us. It resides in our families, our friends, our neighbors, and in ourselves. While not a Christian myself, I greatly admire the Amish viewpoint on incidents like this. They would reject seeking vengeance and instead would forgive the culprit and move forward with a replacement. Much to admire there.
It has meaningful worship, bible study, Sunday school, etc. it is absolutely a church. I was ordained there. One slight correction, However, Anne Holmes was the second openly gay clergy ordained, following Bill Johnson.
This happens in the U.S. because institutionalize racism allow it to happen . No surprise.
That’s a meritless conspiracy theory
Kinda like MAGA philosophy and its multitude of hateful doctrines?
This stream could begin and end on the first sentence. People should not be doing this. Let the police figure out the vandalism part.
We need security cameras on all of the church’s entrances and the LRUCC sign/cross right away! People can’t stand this kind of vandalism on churches like this anymore!