"Nothing wrong with embracing our sexuality as liberated black folks," Pastor Jefferson Brown said, and the tall, dark-skinned, silver-haired and bespectacled black gentleman addressed these select members of his congregation with a kindly smile. At the Pastor's southern Atlanta mansion, located a few blocks from the Holy Temple of Light Apostolic Church, things were most definitely heating up. The men and women in attendance, hand chosen by the preacher man himself, had no idea what they were in for.
"Truly the only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it," echoed First Lady Janice Wilford Brown, wife of Pastor Jefferson Brown. The six-foot-tall, curvy, chocolate-hued, short-haired and big-bottomed dame, more than a decade her husband's junior, stood by his side, a mystifying smile on her lovely face. Most people would have been surprised that the whole thing was Janice's idea. The feisty First Lady has always been in tune with her husband's desires, and knows all about making them come true. About time some of their congregation got with the program.
When Pastor Jefferson Brown introduced Janice Wilford Brown as his wife to his congregation a few years ago, they didn't know what to make of her. Many in the Holy Temple of Light Apostolic Church did not know what to make of the tall young black woman with the looks of a video vixen. Truly, the preacher had taken a leave of absence after losing his previous wife Ellen Jacobs to cancer, and he returned with a new, younger wife. Oh well, the marriage between Janice and Jefferson actually lasted, surprising many.
The Pastor and the First Lady looked at their guests, and smiled like wolves finding stray sheep miles from the shepherd's lane. Mitchell Moor is a tall, handsome young black man with a shaved head and a slick goatee. He's a native of Atlanta, Georgia, and a proud graduate of Morehouse College. He's starting law school in the Fall. Next to Mitchell stood Sholonda Adilson, a tall, curvy, caramel-hued sister with a big ass who favors actress Jill Scott but with a much bigger ass. Sholonda is in grad school at Georgia State University. The two of them recently got engaged.
Rounding up the church-going quartet are real estate agent Luther Henderson, a muscular, dark-skinned brother originally from the island of Jamaica and his lady friend Estelle Beauchamp, a tall, light-skinned, sexy and big-bottomed newcomer to the City of Atlanta, Georgia, by way of Jacmel, Republic of Haiti. Pastor Jefferson Brown and his wife Janice Wilford Brown are smart people and they know the private lives of their congregants very well. That's why these four were chosen to be invited to the Pastor's mansion for a special encounter.
"Mitchell, my dude, I know that you like both females and males, and that your lady friend Sholonda here struggles with it, you don't have to be alone, you can be part of a wonderful family that accepts you," Pastor Jefferson Brown said, smiling at the nervous young man. Mitchell blushed and looked at Sholonda, who bit her lip. The First Lady walked up to the younger black couple, and hugged them both in a very warm, friendly manner.
"Sholonda, my sister, lots of black women are married to bisexual black men who hide what they are, at least your lover Mitchell is honest, and you two can make it work and have tons of fun along the way, like my hubby and I do," Janice said firmly. She looked into Sholonda's eyes and the younger black woman nodded hesitantly. Mitchell took Sholonda's hand and brought it to his lips.
"Sholonda, babe, I didn't choose to be bisexual, I tried to be straight for a long time, I love only you, but I do notice some fellas, and some women," Mitchell said softly, and Sholonda nodded. She looked at her fiancé and then exchanged a smile with the First Lady. The Pastor and his wife always seemed happy and in love, so if they could make their mixed orientation marriage work, perhaps she and her man stood a chance. Honesty always helps things along, doesn't it?
"Alright, Mitchell, I'm with you," Sholonda said, and she gave her fiancé a peck on the lips. Pastor Jefferson Brown nodded in approval, then moved on to the next couple. As the bisexual leader of a deeply conservative and predominantly black church, the Pastor walks a fine line. Over a decade ago, when the Pastor announced his support for same-sex marriage, many in the congregation thought he'd lost his damn mind. Fortunately, those who remained actually supported him, and as it turns out, the Pastor made the right call. American society evolves when it comes to sex, why can't the black community?
"Look, preacher man, I might feel attracted to both sexes but I don't act on it, I'm not on the down low, and I'm not bisexual, I stick to being straight in practice," Luther said in that deep Jamaican accent of his. The burly Jamaican realtor looked at his new lady friend Estelle, and sighed. Born and raised in the Jacmel region of the island of Haiti, Estelle is a fairly conservative woman. Prior to getting into a relationship with Luther, Estelle investigated him and found out about his repressed bisexual tendencies. As they embarked on a new relationship, Estelle demanded Luther's absolute loyalty, lest she leave him.
"Luther, it's alright, we are among friends," Estelle said gently, laying her hand on his arm. Luther looked at Estelle and his heart skipped a beat. The closeted bisexual Jamaican definitely loves his Haitian MILF. Estelle smiled at her boo, and Luther calmed down and stopped being so damn defensive. In the year and a half since they met, Luther had been absolutely faithful to Estelle and their relationship. Luther shunned his former acquaintances in the men-seeking-men community, focusing exclusively on making Estelle happy. What more could a woman ask for?
