Annette’s feature article in The Columbian

In the Super Bowl Sunday issue of The Columbian newspaper, published on February 7, 2021, the front page feature article was titled, “Annette Nettles: Washougal pastor draws on experience, focuses on love, unity.”

Here is an excerpt from the article.

“Being the only Black person in the room is nothing new to Annette Nettles, Pastor of Love at the Cross, a small congregation in Washougal.

“It’s not that Nettles is unaware of the difference between herself and her white, mostly older congregation. It’s that she feels called to overcome those differences and help others see how to overcome them too.

“‘Other Black people visit and they are shocked that it’s not an all-Black church. It will be nice when people don’t have those boundaries,’ Nettles said.”

The article also mentions last year’s 2020 Black History Month celebration in Washougal, which was well-attended by the Washougal community, including the mayor, police, and the Young Marines Color Guard.

The Columbian article includes Annette’s memories of growing up in the old Worldwide Church of God. “‘I would sit on the edge of my chair at church and I wanted to know who Jesus was,’ Nettles said. ‘I wanted so badly to be able to teach and to lead. That seemed to be what I was being led to at a very young age.’”

View the complete article: https://www.columbian.com/news/2021/feb/07/annette-nettles-washougal-pastor-draws-on-experience-focuses-on-love-unity.