Jesus and the Sweet Pilgrim Baptist Church: A Fable by Clayton Sullivan For a long time nothing much has changed for the poor black congregation of Sweet Pilgrim Baptist Church of Clearwater, Mississippi. Eastertime has dutifully rolled around again. The azaleas are in bloom. And then off in the distance comes a wondrous music–a music that thunders throughout the sky with sweet majesty. It brings in its trail a celestial cloud and signals a heavenly visit. Jesus and Simon Peter have come to town. But they are women! Jewish women–well dressed and built like runway models. “At times I’ve come to earth in the form of a man. But this time I’ve come as a woman. Is something wrong with me appearing as a woman?” In short order this unexpected turn of events becomes the norm. Then comes a suspense-filled series of events that bring joy and prosperity, hatred and murder, and, as a final surprise, redemption. Clayton Sullivan is a retired Baptist minister living in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He is a professor of philosophy and religion at the University of Southern Mississippi.