John Gray didn't know what Hope Carpenter would say in appearance at Relentless, publicist says

Pastor John Gray and his wife said they did not know Hope Carpenter would be saying "I cut people" while discussing The Greenville News during a Sunday service, according to a statement from Gray's spokeswoman.

"While we believe Pastor Hope was joking, we completely understand how her comments could be received in today's climate," said spokeswoman Holly Baird, in a written statement. "Neither our pastors or anyone in our leadership would agree with any type of communication that would encourage or incite violence against another individual or entity."

In a phone call, Baird reiterated that the Grays did not condone the comments.

Guest speaker Hope Carpenter delivered about 5 minutes of affirmations during the first of two Sunday services at Relentless Church in Greenville.

She said she was rooting for Relentless and followed that by saying "I cut people. I got a knife right there in that pocketbook, so Greenville News, come on. We done went through that already. I'm still here, and guess who else is still gonna be here?"

Hope Carpenter said Sunday that "when all hell comes against your church" it will test the roots of the church and of worshipers. She said her own deep root system, solidified years ago, had helped her weather storms in her life.

Greenville News executive editor Katrice Hardy issued a statement on the paper's coverage late Monday.

"The Greenville News strives to cover every organization in our community in a fair and unbiased way," Hardy said. "Our coverage of Relentless church has included stories ranging from the church's assistance in helping launch an emergency homeless shelter in Pickens County to the way that the church has used its resources."

Carpenter and her husband founded Redemption World Outreach Church in 1991, that church building became Relentless Church in 2018 and is now led by Gray and his wife Aventer Gray. The Carpenters now preach from their Redemption Church in California.

Hope Carpenter did not respond to email requests for comment and has disabled direct messaging for her Instagram account. Ron Carpenter did not respond to messages sent through Facebook or respond to efforts to reach him through his church by phone or through message forms. The Carpenters do not have listed active phone numbers.

A Redemption Church employee responded to a Facebook message request Monday and said someone from the church would be in contact Monday. As of publication time, the church had not been directly in contact with The News, and did not respond to two additional requests left with people answering the church's phone number, or to follow-up questions sent through Facebook messages.

Hope Carpenter had previously apologized, through her husband, for comments she made in 2017 about NFL players kneeling in protest. 

The Rev. Michael Duduit, editor of Preaching magazine and dean of Anderson University's Christian studies program, said in an email that the references to a knife are contrary to the example of scripture and of Jesus Christ.

He pointed to Jesus' last moments as written in the Gospels, when one of his disciples pulled a sword and cut the ear of a man coming to take Jesus away. Even as He was being taken away to be executed, Jesus urged his followers to sheath their swords and said physical violence is not the answer, Duduit said.

"As for the comment about the knife, it was certainly not an appropriate comment," he said. "I would hope they would recognize that and apologize for an inappropriate comment."

Gray's church has appeared in The Greenville News, including John Gray's disclosure on a daytime talkshow of an "emotional affair," the church's purchase of a $1.8 million home for the Grays, and John Gray gifting his wife a $200K Lamborghini.

The Greenville News also has published stories about John Gray and Relentless Church repeatedly encouraging those in need to take money from the church offering plates. Other stories by The News have detailed Gray and Relentless pledging support of Pickens County's first homeless shelter and the church's hopes to take racial healing nationwide.

More:John Gray controversies: Hope Carpenter calls out Greenville News at Relentless Church service