Mother Emanuel’s legacy bigger than this atrocity
Had the attack happened two years ago, former minister J. Anthony Josey believes he might have been among the dead. Instead, his mentor Rev. Clementa Pinckney is gone, with eight others. Josey spoke with the National Post’s Sarah Boesveld.
Q How did you learn what happened Wednesday night? A I got a call at 9:30 p.m. and I started calling church members. I couldn’t reach (Pastor Pinckney). I called his cell number and it sounded like someone picked it up long enough to shut it off. My heart began to sink. And so I begin to call the members that were a part of the Bible study when I was there. One member, she began to tell me what she had heard and I prayed with her, and I went on to call another. And when I called this member, I reached her daughter and immediately asked about her mother and her sister because they were very loyal to the Bible study when I was there. She said, “No, we’re all here, we didn’t go. But do you know who was shot?” When I mentioned two names, I just couldn’t take the heartbreak and pain on the other end. So my wife and I said, “We’re just going to hang tight, we’re not going to call anybody else.”
Q You might have been there, had this happened two years ago. A Absolutely. I did the Bible study up until the time I left. Q It wouldn’t have been so strange for a white guy like that to come join Bible study? A Absolutely not. You’re in tourist central right there where Mother Emanuel is, so you’re subject to see any person from any country, not just native to the United States. But vacationers come, they know about Mother Emanuel. We’d have strangers come to our Bible study all the time and we would welcome them in. Q How would you describe the Mother Emanuel community? A When you experience a communion Sunday worship, there is a lot of pomp and circumstance. When the congregation parades in, it’s almost like you can feel that connection with your African-American heritage.
Q People are linking the church’s deep connection with African-American emancipation to the attack. Do you? A We don’t know what God’s ultimate plans were, but unfortunately that evil spirit settled in at Mother Emanuel. If I know Rev. Pinckney — and I’ve seen him do this before, I’ve seen someone come in off the street, and they were a little intoxicated and they got a little irate — I saw this humble figure just appeal to the humanity in that individual.
Q If Pastor Pinckney were here now to witness the fallout of this tragedy, what would he say?
A I could hear him saying these words, “We’re going to get through this.” We are definitely going to get through this and we have to remember that God is bigger than any individual act that a person — any person — could commit.
This interview has been edited and condensed.