Senior Bishop Hoyt Calls for

2nd Rally at Atlantic Beach, SC

TO: Pastors and Members

Winston-Salem/Greenville District

And to other Concerned CME's

FROM: Dr. James E. Russell, Jr., Presiding Elder

SUBJECT: Atlantic Beach March/Rally

DATE: Saturday, October 30, 2010

TIME: 10:00 am

In August of 2010, during the praise and worship service at Atlantic Beach CME Church, members of the Atlantic Beach police department entered the church and ended the worship service. The pastor and her husband were handcuffed and taken away while the remaining members were forced to leave the premises. This was done under the pretense that the building had been condemned. This has sense been proved not to be true.

In September of 2010, Senior Bishop Thomas L. Hoyts, Jr. and others traveled to Atlantic Beach where we met and talked with the Town Manager and Police Chief. We expressed our concern about their action and requested that the light be turned on and the pastor and members be allowed to re-enter their church for worship.

To this day, the lights in the Atlantic Beach CME Church have not been turned on. The pastor’s husband has been arrested on two occasions and remains in jail even as I write this note to you. Senior Bishop Thomas L. Hoyt, Jr. has expressed his concern for the church and safety of some of its members.

ABOUT ATLANTIC BEACH

Atlantic Beach, S.C. is a small municipality composed of approximately 500 people on about .2 SQ miles. The town is nestled between two of the largest resort municipalities (Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle) in the United States. It is governed and managed by an all-black town council. Bishop Senior Thomas L. Hoyt, Jr. feels strongly that the Town Council of Atlantic Beach has the responsibility to uphold the constitution of the United States of America and protect and respect the right of all of its citizens.

The fact that the town of Atlantic Beach is incorporated for the purpose of self government means that it has the responsibility and the duty to protect and respect the constitutional rights of all of its citizens regardless of race, creed, or religion. For the past few years this has not been the case where the Atlantic Beach CME Church is concerned. A disturbing and distinct pattern and practice of abuse of power towards the church, it members, it pastor and her family by the town have been clearly evident.

These abuses include but are not limited to threats, false arrest and unconstitutional incarceration. It is sad when in 2010 in the United States of America that an all-black town council has chosen to openly abuse and hinder a black congregation from expressing their rights to worship without abusive re-action from the government which has been elected to protect them.

THIS IS WHY SENIOR BISHOP HOYT IS CALLING FOR A MASS RALLY AND MARCH IN THE TOWN OF ATLANTIC BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA. HE IS ASKING EACH PASTOR TO MAKE PLANS TO BE PRESENT AND TO ENCOURAGE AS MANY MEMBERS AS WILL TO JOIN WITH US IN ATLANTIC BEACH AT 10:00 AM ON OCTOBER 30, 2010. WE ARE HOPEFUL OF HAVING AT LEAST 500 MEMBERS PRESENT.