In South Carolina, Pastor Edward Alston is retiring, and Bible readings in Gullah – a unique dialect formed by enslaved people – face an uncertain fate
On a recent Sunday morning, Pastor Edward Alston approached a pulpit draped in immaculate white cloth and began to preach the gospel.
The reading came from Mark, chapter 12, verse 30 – Jesus’s great commandment. Alston looked down on the Bible as its red cover flopped out from his hand. He cleared his throat and began to read the noted scripture with a rare variation.