Benedict degree honors friendship of 2 beloved pastors. One is white, the other black
Once Benedict College confers Wendell R. Estep with a honorary doctor of divinity degree at its graduation ceremony on Saturday, no one will be applauding louder than Rev. Charles Jackson.
Estep, who retired this past summer after 32 years as pastor at First Baptist Church, and Jackson, who has been pastor at Brookland Baptist Church in West Columbia for 48 years, have enjoyed an inspiring and close friendship that spans more than two decades during which the duo have worked to improve racial relations in the Christian community.
Jackson, an alumnus of Benedict, wrote the letter recommending that Estep be considered for the honorary degree. This past December, Jackson received a similar honorary degree from the University of South Carolina. Estep was there applauding for Jackson, and Jackson says he wouldn’t have earned the honor without his friend.
“One of the things they made mention was my embrace of global ministry, the commitment I tried to show toward community and the larger picture of community, which means being more embracing of others who may not be as I have been, or may be different from me in a number of ways,” Jackson says.
“We believe in the relationship that we have. And that’s why I recommended him (for the Benedict honorary degree) because I would not be where I am in terms of my greater embrace of a larger Christian community if it were not for the personal relationship he and I have enjoyed.”
Surprised by attention
Estep and Jackson’s friendship has been well documented, noting the uniqueness of a black minister from a large, historically black church being such good friends with a white minister from a large, historically white church. Estep is surprised that it’s received the attention that it has.
“I really am, because that was not the purpose for it,” Estep says. “I think both Rev. Jackson and I have come to understand that it is meaningful to the community and we’re appreciative of that. But that was not the goal, so I am surprised.
“I supposed I’m surprised too because I would think it should be normal.”
Jackson is more disheartened by the attention than surprised.
“We know of no other strong, close, sincere, intimate relationship between a white pastor and a black pastor on the order and in the spirit of the one Dr. Estep and I have,” Jackson says. “We are pretty well known through the Columbia area by the sincerity of the friendship we share. And I say I’m disheartened because it’s unfortunately too rare. And that concerns me greatly. That’s one of the things we celebrate in our friendship on the one hand, but are somewhat challenged on the other hand. It’s far too uncommon to find relationships or friendships on the order of the one that he and I have.”
Robert McAlister is friends with Estep and Jackson, calling them the “ecclesiastical odd couple.” He thinks the attention the friendship has received stems from the fact that they’re high profile pastors from two of the largest congregations in the state.
“And unfortunately, while their relationship is not unique, it is not as nearly as common as it is suppose to be, scripturally,” McAlister says. “There is still an unfortunate gap in relations between white Christians and black Christians in America. I don’t think it is from anything having to do with a desire to stay separate, it’s just kind of the way it is.”
Another thing that makes their relationship unique is their segregated childhood backgrounds.
“You have a combination of high profile pastors from exceedingly divergent backgrounds, making a choice to do that which scripture demands; that is for Christians to love each other,” McAlister says. “It is a choice each one of us is called to make, and they made that choice.”
Estep and Jackson have helped organize several events intending to blend the Christian community; in 2000 there was the the Easter sunrise service at Williams-Brice Stadium that more than 30,000 attended; in 2016 the Night of Joy at what was then Spirit Communications Park (now Segra Park) was a joint choir concert; there have been other joint choir concerts, pulpit exchanges where Estep has preached at Brookland and Jackson at First Baptist, and other events.
Last summer, the South Carolina General Assembly adopted a House Resolution honoring Estep. Included in the resolution was mention of his friendship with Jackson: “Dr. Estep has participated in many community events and fostered relationships within the community, including his friendship with Dr. Charles B. Jackson, Sr., pastor of Brookland Baptist Church. Together, the two pastors are dedicated to improving race relations…”
It’s not just the big events that helps improve those race relations; it’s the example being set by the two men’s relationship.
‘He is a brother in Christ’
“Charles and I love each other,” Estep says. “It’s as simple as that. I love him dearly, he is a brother in Christ and a dear friend. And the people, through the years, have seen that it’s legitimate with both of us. There is no ulterior motive. We’re not trying to do anything. We just love each other. I think both the white and the black communities have come to see through the years that that’s all it is.”
Estep and Jackson’s wives, Lynda and Robin, have become friends as well. Their families are intertwined; they take trips together, go out to lunch, talk on the phone several times a week.
And they don’t shy away from awkward conversations, which as it turns out, aren’t necessarily awkward between them because of an idea Jackson had. He suggested when issues come up, he would share thoughts “as a black man sees it” and he wanted Estep to share “as a white mans sees it.”
“What we discovered,” Estep says, “is that there are a number of issues with which we disagree. But that’s fine, that’s OK. I believe unless we can honestly ask questions and receive an honest answer, we will never understand each other. And therefore we can not improve relations between the races. So we’re extremely honest with each other.
“It’s only then we can understand each other and when we skirt the issues then we never really understand each other. You can’t do that unless you trust each other. And you can’t trust each other unless you spend time with each other. It’s only by spending time with another person and gaining the trust of the other person that you can be honest with the other person.”
That honesty transcends many areas, including politics, religion, culture, social and any other topic that comes up.
“We look at events differently but we’ve come to understand the perspective the other might bring to the perception of the event and that has been an amazing blessing for us,” Jackson says. “Because we’ve come to know each other, even though we’re different and come from contrasting backgrounds.”
And that is why nearly 25 years ago, the two pastors decided to spend the time it took to get to know one another.
“We intentionally committed ourselves to developing a personal relationship,” Jackson says. “We believed years ago that whites and blacks don’t trust each other primarily because they don’t know each other. They don’t know each other because they do not spend time with each other to get to know the other. He and I intentionally decided we would spend time with each other and that requires quite a bit, to say ‘I really want to get to know this man and he wants to get to know me.’”
They had no idea what was to come.
“Absolutely not, absolutely not, absolutely not,” Jackson says. “If I were to just to view him from the surface, as a Republican at First Baptist Church, if he were to view me as a black man Democrat from Lexington County from a black congregation, we don’t have the ingredients to make a wonderful cake with icing on top of it. Initially, there were some reservations. But we really felt moved by the spirit to do what we did. And it just happened.
“Oh my gosh, our core values were so very, very similar. We were far more alike that whatever it is that we might see differently. We have been able to sustain the friendship because of the truth we have tried to share with each other.”
And that, they think, is why the story of their friendship so enthralls people.
“We have a lot in common,” Estep says. “The truth is we are not friends because I’m white and because he is black; we’re friends because we like each other.
“Charles and I love each other. It’s as simple as that. I love him dearly, he is a brother in Christ and a dear friend. And the people, through the years, have seen that it’s legitimate with both of us. There is no ulterior motive. We’re not trying to do anything. We just love each other. I think both the white and the black communities have come to see through the years that that’s all it is.”
Jackson still wishes that their friendship wouldn’t fascinate people, though.
“It should encourage and inspire others to seek relationships like he and I have,” Jackson says. “And that’s our prayer; he and I have prayed for there to be more friendships in the order of the that he and I have because it has been so significantly impactful on my life personally, on my pastoral ministry, my embrace of the larger Christian community, etc. and so on. I wish others would find a way to engage a friendship likened to the one that we have.”