Love has come to the Rev. Edward “Eddie” Anderson, pastor of McCarty Memorial Christian Church in South Los Angeles. He recently announced his engagement to Clare Fox and set a wedding date for early 2020.
“I’m very excited about being married. I’m curious about what God is going to bring about and I think it will affect my ministry in a very good way. It will provide balance in my life period,” said Anderson, who has served at McCarty since 2016.
“My fiancée works as well and we can channel that into the community. We share love for one another. Marriage will really keep me grounded and reminds me to stay curious, try new things, and do all sorts of ministry,” he predicted.
Recalling their meeting, Anderson said they became briefly acquainted while attending a leadership training, saw each other again when he addressed a Black Lives Matter forum and weeks later, they facilitated another event together. Like Anderson, Fox is heavily involved in community issues through a nonprofit group she founded.
“As we were working together, we learned a lot about each other. We had a lot of the same commitments about community building and making sure that Black-owned properties are maintained and owned by African Americans. Her organization uses their resources to make that happen,” he said.
“I thought that was pretty cool. We were on the same wavelength and that was an opening for me.”
Their friendship was further cemented after Fox united with McCarty Memorial, joined the choir and began donating time to the church’s ministries. “It made me see her in a different light and people are open to her being in my life,” Anderson said.
While Fox is White and Anderson is Black, he’s not concerned about race or backgrounds. He insisted that the outside appearance is not a factor when it comes to love.
“What really matters is the heart of the person. That is what I am learning in our relationship and that is what Clare has taught me on a daily basis – that it’s really about the heart of a person,” he explained. “Race could have been an issue, but knowing the love that we have for each other and her commitment to the same things that I’m doing, we are allies. God is love and love will show up in many different ways, you just have to embrace it,” said Anderson.
“I think my church is very excited and it’s another milestone for us. I think you will see the impact as our community grows and in our community work as well!”
McCarty Memorial Christian Church is located at 4101 West Adams Blvd., in Los Angeles. To learn more, call (323) 731-4131 or visit mccartychurch.org.