In the Media

Below are articles about our community that have appeared in media outlets. They are compiled here for ease of reference. 

Affordable Housing

• Cary Partners with church for affordable housing, childcare project, Video (WRAL; Apr. 3, 2024)
• Wake Commissioners invest $7 million in projects to benefit the community (Wake County; Mar. 4, 2024)

LGBTQ Inclusion

• The Pride and Black Lives Matter flags get vandalized outside of Cary church again (WRAL; Mar. 10 2023)
• ‘We stand united’: Cary church continues on with services despite messages of hate this week (ABC11; Sept. 4, 2022)
• Black Lives Matter, Pride flags burned in broad daylight at Cary church (WECT News 6; Sept. 1, 2022)
• Cary church’s Pride, Black Lives Matter flags burned (WXII NBC12; Aug. 31, 2022)
• Cary church keeps stockpile after series of vandalism attacks on Pride, Black Lives Matter flags (WRAL; Aug. 31, 2022)
• Triangle churches turn to streaming to connect communities for Sunday services (WRAL; Mar. 20, 2020)
• North Carolina Church Halts CBF Funding Because New LGBT Hiring Policy Is Too ‘Discriminatory’ (Christian Post; Mar. 22, 2018)
• N.C. church involved in immigration dispute withholds funding to protest CBF hiring practice (Baptist News Global; Mar. 21, 2018)

Gilles Bikindou Deportation Case

• Trump Admin. Sends Baptist Man in Need of Special Medical Treatment Back to Congo; Pastor Calls Deportation ‘Evil’ (Christian Post; Feb. 26, 2018)

• Pastor says fight for deported Baptist church member will continue (Baptist News Global; Feb. 26, 2018)
• Member of U.S. Baptist church deported to the Republic of Congo (Baptist News Global; Feb. 24, 2018)
• ICE arrested him. His church put his photo in a pew so no one would forget. (CNN; Feb. 23, 2018)
• After appeals for mercy fail, Cary man is sent back to his native Congo (News & Observer; Feb. 23, 2018)

• Video of Prayer Vigil in front of the Atlanta City Detention Center (Feb. 21, 2018)
• Cary church member faces possible deportation (ABC11; Feb. 20, 2018)

Note: Refers to Gilles Bikindou living in the United States “illegally” since losing his asylum appeal in 2010. This is incorrect, as even ICE states in this article that “[Mr. Bikindou] was released from custody on an order of supervision June 28, 2010, which remained in effect until his most recent arrest Jan. 9.” 

• N.C. church appeals for its member scheduled for deportation this Friday (Baptist News Global; Feb. 20, 2018)

• Deportation Set for Cary Church Member with Life-Threatening Medical Condition (INDY Week; Feb. 19, 2018)
• Amid detentions and deportation, sanctuary movement persists (Christian Century; Feb. 6, 2018)
• Congress Needs to Hold ICE Accountable for Abuses (ACLU; Feb. 2, 2018)

Note: Greenwood Forest is not mentioned by name here, but the candlelight vigil referred to in the article is in reference to our action outside the Charlotte ICE office. 

• Baptists protest deportation of church member outside ICE office where he was detained (Baptist News Global; Jan. 29, 2018)
• Making America whiter, an immigrant at a time (Charlotte Post; Jan. 27, 2018)

• Part 1 and Part 2 of the Prayer Vigil at the Charlotte ICE Office (Jan. 24, 2018)
• The day life changed for a legal immigrant — and his church (Editorial by Rev. Lauren Efird) (Baptist News Global; Jan. 18, 2018)
• Jesus, Martin, and Gilles (North Carolina Council of Churches; Jan. 17, 2018)
• NC church is asking ICE to release member who unexpectedly faces deportation (News & Observer; Jan. 16, 2018)
• Church Asks ICE to Release Member Facing Deportation (US News & World Report; Jan. 12, 2018)
• Cary church fighting to stop deportation of member with ‘life-threatening’ medical condition (WRAL; Jan. 12, 2018)
• Baptist church fighting deportation of member with dire health conditions (Baptist News Global; Jan. 11, 2018)
• Cary church fights potential deportation of legal immigrant (ABC11; Jan. 11, 2018)

• Press Conference for Gilles Bikindou (Jan. 11, 2018)

Other

• Bernice Johnson Reagon’s Musical Coalition Politics, 1966-1981 (Article by Rev. Dr. Stephen Stacks in the Journal of the Society for American Music, Feb. 2024)
• Teaching Freedom Song as Antiracist Praxis (Article by Rev. Dr. Stephen Stacks in the Journal of the Society for American Music; Nov. 2021)
• Alumni Spotlight: Rev. Lauren Efird (’06) (Campbell University; June 10, 2021)
• Rev. Spears-Newsome Preaches on Day1 Radio Show
• Rev. Efird is named one of Cary Magazine’s Movers and Shakers of 2018
• Patriotic Music on Sunday Morning: Yes or No? [Rev. Dr. Stephen Stacks quoted] (SING! The Center for Congregational Song; August 14, 2018)
• Cary pastors: Former NAACP leader Dolezal will bring ‘sensationalized presence’ (Editorial signed on to by Rev. Lauren Efird and Rev. Stephen Stacks) (News & Observer; Oct. 16, 2016)
• Finding Their Own Voices (Cary Magazine; Aug. 16, 2016)
• With or without us: The Church and the growing protest movement (Editorial by Rev. Wesley Spears-Newsome) (Baptist News Global; Feb. 7, 2017)
• We know, but sometimes we wonder (Editorial by Rev. Wesley Spears-Newsome) (Baptist News Global; Jan. 10, 2017)