Earlier the news was reporting that Jeremiah Wright was to give a speech at a Tampa, Fla., church.
Tampabay.com has issued an update on that, saying that the speech that Jeremiah Wright was to give has been canceled.
TEMPLE TERRACE -- Appearances this week by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. at the Bible-Based Fellowship Church of Temple Terrace have been canceled, the church's pastor said today.
The Rev. Earl Mason cited security concerns and said the three-night revival featuring Wright was turning into an "event" and media circus, rather than the celebration of the church's 10th anniversary that it was intended to be, so Mason asked him to stay in Chicago.
Wright, the former pastor of presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, has drawn national attention in recent weeks over inflammatory remarks he made from the pulpit, which Obama has disavowed. This week's revival was to have been his first public appearance since the controversy erupted.
Mason cites part of the reason as being the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, which had agreed to provide extra security for the event, notified him Monday it would no longer do so.
Sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter disputed Mason's account.
In all likelihood the situation just got a little too hot for the church to handle.
Having a racist, who has been publicly exposed for what he is, speak at a church would likely damage the reputation and credibility of the church itself, which would be reason enough to cancel Wright's appearance.
Wednesday night's revival session will take place, though without Wright, but Tuesday and Thursday's services are canceled.
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