Imagine coming home from church one evening and seeing the words BOP A** N***A sprayed painted on your house. This is exactly what Pastor Oshaine Wynter experienced this past Sabbath, January 9. 
Wynter, living in Aurora, Colorado, is the pastor of New Community Church in Denver and Boston Street church in Aurora. Both are within the Central States Conference, a sister conference to Rocky Mountain Connference.
Commenting on the scary experience, Wynter said the whole situation has “been disappointing and sickening.” He further recalls the fear of seeing those freshly-painted words on his garage, knowing his wife, 6-month-old, and 2-year-old were just feet away inside the house.
The pictures posted on Facebook received swift comments of denunciation for the hate-filled words that Wynter and his family endured.
A former pastor commented on the Facebook post, saying, “Bro, I’m so sorry your wife, children, and yourself had to endure this terrible racist thing. Bro, please be safe and keep your family safe. This is unacceptable.”
Another posted, “No excuse for this cruelty! Prayers for your safety and for a repentant heart for the perpetrators.”
After seeing the horrific picture on Facebook, Jessyka Dooley, RMC assistant youth director said, “This really makes my blood boil. My heart goes out to Oshaine and his family. May we surround them with love in both our words and actions during this time.”
The police, notified of the event, confirmed to Wynter that hate speech in Aurora has been sharply increasing since the U.S. election in November.
Commenting on the racial attack, Ed Barnett, RMC president said, “I am just appalled that racism is so apparent today in Denver. It just blows my mind.”
Central States Conference vice-president of administration, Pastor Cryston Josiah, echoed Barnett’s comment, “He has our love and support fully. We do not condone attacks against him or anyone else.” Josiah added that the Central States Conference has “a lot of members who experience racism and he [Wynter] is strong and resilient against racism.”
For safety reasons, Wynter and his family moved from their home, but the damage has been done to the community. Wynter said there is a new level of fearfulness among church members. He added that “the type of fear you experience here [in the United States] you don’t experience anywhere else.” The police are continueing to investigate this hate crime.
The RMC youth department reached out to Pastor Wynter with an offer to assist with any needs his family may have in the aftermath of this crime.
Barnett added that following a successful gathering sponsored by the Littleton and Denver Park Hill Churches in October 2020, “the Rocky Mountain Conference continues to explore and hold conversations on how we can take a stand against racial injustice and promote solidarity among the ethnically-diverse population that both conferences serve.”
—RMCNews
Photo from Oshaine Wynter Facebook
