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Pastor of church second on Dylann Roof’s alleged ‘hit list’ opens up

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Morris Brown AME is among the most historic black churches in Charleston. So when a handwritten list of churches by the Charleston church shooter surfaced during the trial, it wasn’t a total shock to Morris Brown’s pastor.

“I was not surprised because of thing he was looking for in identifying churches” said Reverend James Keeton Jr, “but I was disappointed because you never want to see a church that you serve and people you love on a list like that.”

Keeton addressed the alleged “hit list” with his congregation when the article of evidence was made public earlier this month.

“It didn’t take long for it to get around the congregation that Morris Brown was one of the churches on the list,” said Keeton.

The reverend says some anxiety within the AME churches was triggered again by the list being released, but his faith calls him and others to be fearless.

“We have to be faithful and be non-anxious presences and try to re-ensure people that in the midst of things happening like this we can’t lose sight of what the lord is calling us to do,” said Keeton, “we have to continue to love.”

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