My wife Molly and I remain amazed and perplexed that the simple and holy gesture of taking one’s shoes off before entering a Methodist place of worship generated so much public dialogue and controversy.
We remain irate and disappointed that this simple and holy gesture eventually led to our dismissal from service to the Methodist Church in Barbados.
Upon being challenged in our ministry, we initially followed the motif of the persistent widow, demanding justice from Methodist leaders . . . . We were being punished for a transgression that was never disclosed and never given an opportunity to respond to any concerns.
So now another motif is followed, this time the instruction Jesus gave to the 70 whom he sent out: Where one is welcome, stay for a while; where one is not welcome, then shake the dust from their bare feet and move on. And so we follow this instruction faithfully – we shake it off and move on.
To those who welcomed us, embraced us and carried us in prayer, we say thank you. The encouragement and grace shown to us by these people, especially in trying times, buoyed our spirits.
To the Methodist leadership responsible for our forced departure from a life of faith on the island, we say: you win.
You win by demonstrating your power and authority to disregard your own standards by improperly disciplining one who dared to question the authority of church leaders.
You win by exacting punishment on one who does not submit to arbitrary and mean-spirited leadership. You win by exercising power rather than grace and mercy. You win by quenching the spirit of a ministry that was growing. And you win by separating our family.
You win.
J. WILLIAM ST CLAIR (The Barefoot Preacher)