by Molly Secours
Walking into the sanctuary of Hobson United Methodist Church, there is a sense of divine contradiction. Scanning dark wood pews that form a semicircle, soft light emanates through stained-glass windows deflecting harshness from the outside world. Gazing upward toward the majestic balcony, one can almost hear a choir of angels in concert, reverberating throughout the neighborhood. Breaking the spell, Reverend Sonnye Dixon begins to share his personal journey while pointing to twin corners of the balcony where crumbling plaster signals severe disrepair. With blunt honesty he says, “I’m a recovering sexist and a recovering homophobe” as if this will somehow explain the vulnerable state of the ceiling.