Megan Barry rejects atheism rumors, talks faith

Mayoral candidate Megan Barry professed her Christian faith to a round of applause and then delivered a speech that earned a standing ovation on Monday morning in front of black faith leaders, activists, politicians and local media gathered at Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church.

Barry's speech was a strategic one, delivered amid rumors that she is an atheist. She also called on her runoff opponent, David Fox, to repudiate the spread of that message, which her campaign said has spread by a phone banking effort where callers warn that she doesn’t believe in God.

Fox said his campaign has nothing to to with the phone banking and referred to those efforts as malicious rumor spreading.

Barry was introduced by the Rev. Frank Stevenson and the Rev. Breonus Mitchell, who support her campaign. The pastors implored the African-American leaders gathered in the room to help drive the vote for the September election.

“There have been a lot of comments from my opponent and a lot of really not nice things said about me,” Barry said. “So let me just start off with, I’m a Christian.

“I was raised as a Catholic, but my faith, which was always very personal to me, has suddenly become a public conversation, which has made me uncomfortable.”

Barry, who served two terms as an At-large Metro Council member and earned the most votes in the Aug. 6 general election, described how her faith influenced her legislative priorities. The event came as Barry also looks to court support from African-American voters, which she struggled to get during the first round of voting.

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“The values I have always brought to my public service have always been a deep reflection of what I believe as a Catholic,” Barry said. “When Jesus reached out to us and told us to welcome the stranger, that’s what we did when we … defeated English-only. When we talk about welcoming people and helping our neighbor, and loving thy neighbor as thyself, that’s what I tried to do when I served on the Homeless Commission.



“In prayer and in Jesus, we are all together in this,” she said.

Barry said that her choice not to discuss her faith should not be misinterpreted as her lacking faith. She then pivoted and pointed the arrow back at Fox and the Super PAC financed by his brother that helped him qualify for the runoff election.

“My faith is something I will always take with me into the mayor’s office,” she said. “I know this is such a pivotal election for Nashville. We’ve already seen what a Super PAC will do and what a Super PAC is capable of talking about. I would like to reach out to Bordeaux, where a minister recently received an anonymous call saying I want you to make sure you tell your church that Megan is an atheist.

“That’s just hurtful, and I wish we were in a place that this wasn’t the kind of campaign that was going to be run, but I don’t think it is. As we move forward, I need all of you to help me get out the vote.”

In addition to Barry, Stevenson urged those gathered at the prayer breakfast to support At-large candidates Erica Gilmore, Sharon Hurt and Lonnell Matthews. Nashville has never had three African- American At-large Metro Council members, who are elected to represent all of Davidson County.

After Barry’s warmly received speech, attendees encircled and laid hands on her as the Rev. Enoch Fuzz delivered an impassioned prayer asking God to bless her campaign.

“I pray right now that you come on and lend us your helping hand,” Fuzz asked of God during his prayer. “Heavenly father make us to work together, make us to love our enemy, not just our neighbor. Heavenly father we pray right now for this city that you call it your city, put your name on it. Raise up this woman, Megan, to be a mayor that will give glory to your name, a mayor that will cause the bowed-down heads to be raised up.”

Tennessean reporter Joey Garrison contributed to this story.

Reach Nate Rau at 615-259-8094 and on Twitter @tnnaterau.