Pastor Bill Burton of the St. Thomas African Methodist Episcopal Church, a historically black church in Alto, Texas, is convinced that a burned cross found near his church was the result of a hate crime, although local authorities are hesitant to label it as anything more than vandalism, CBS19 reports.
“When I saw the cross burning, it was heart-wrenching,” Burton said. “Just brought back the ’60s to my mind, back when they used to burn crosses at different churches.”
St Thomas has been around for more than 100 years and has never had to deal with an incident quite like this. However, despite what authorities may think, Burton said he remains unmoved in his opinion.
“The reality is, the truth of the facts speak for itself; when you burn a cross on church grounds that speaks to itself,” Burton said.
Read more at CBS19.