South Carolina Town Committee Battles With Mayor Over Nativity Scene

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If you thought the War on Christmas was just a Fox News punchline or a seasonal eye-roll, allow us to introduce you to Mullins, South Carolina — population: small, backbone: apparently massive.

This year’s holiday controversy kicks off with Mayor Miko Pickett, a Democrat, allegedly deciding that a 3-by-4-foot Nativity scene — funded by private citizens and tucked alongside Santa, wreaths, and snowmen in a downtown parking lot — was just a step too far. That’s right. Santa? Fine. Twinkly lights and plastic snowmen? Totally acceptable. But baby Jesus in a manger? Now that’s where we draw the line, apparently.

Kimberly Byrd, head of the Mullins Beautification Committee, thought decorating the city’s new market area for its first Christmas would be a nice, non-controversial idea. You know, help out small businesses, spread some cheer — kind of like a Hallmark movie, but with fewer corporate talking points. She and her team bought the decorations with their own money. No taxpayer funds, no city ordinance violation, just good old-fashioned hometown charm.

And yet, just days later, Byrd says she got a text from the mayor herself, asking her to remove the Nativity scene because it might offend residents “of other faiths and beliefs.” Now, let’s pause there. Mullins is in the Bible Belt. The kind of town where there really is a church on every corner — and probably a potluck happening inside. Byrd, who’s lived there for 53 years, said she’s never seen anything like it. Because, quite frankly, it’s not normal.

Should the Nativity scene in Mullins remain displayed for the holidays?

Support: 100% (4 Votes)

Oppose: 0% (0 Votes)

But the mayor, in a Facebook statement (of course), defended her request by invoking the old “separation of church and state” argument — the favorite fallback of every official who wants to erase faith from the public square without actually saying that’s what they’re doing. It’s a tired, legally shaky line that ignores the very Supreme Court precedent set in Lynch v. Donnelly (1984), where the Court ruled that a Nativity scene is permissible as part of a broader holiday display. Which, for those keeping score, is exactly what’s happening in Mullins.

The Mayor posted a statement to FB.

Byrd, to her credit, didn’t cave. She stood her ground, with support from some city council members and plenty of local — and national — voices who see this for what it is: an attempt to chip away at religious expression under the polite veneer of “inclusivity.” She’s even gone so far as to say if they force her to remove the Nativity, she’ll yank the whole display. Santa, lights, snowman — all of it. Because if you can’t say Christ at Christmas, what exactly are we even celebrating?

You can tell this hit a nerve because Byrd didn’t just get quiet pats on the back from neighbors. She just won the 2025 “Tiny Tim Toast” award from Becket, a religious liberty law firm that recognizes Americans who actually have the guts to stand up for their beliefs. In their words, Byrd’s stand was “admirable and patriotic.” And frankly, it’s hard to disagree.

But of course, Mayor Pickett, as of this writing, hasn’t responded to media requests for comment. Maybe she’s busy re-reading the First Amendment. Or maybe she’s hoping the backlash dies down and people go back to worrying about more acceptable symbols of the season — like inflatable penguins or neutral “holiday trees.”

What’s happening in Mullins is not just a one-off squabble over lawn decor. It’s part of a bigger pattern — where small-town values get steamrolled by officials who treat public expressions of faith like they’re somehow controversial, offensive, or in need of removal before someone gets triggered. Newsflash: Christmas without Christ isn’t “inclusive.” It’s dishonest.

So yes, the War on Christmas is real. It’s quiet, it’s bureaucratic, and it’s happening in the very towns where most Americans thought tradition was still safe. But if there’s one silver lining here, it’s that people like Kimberly Byrd aren’t backing down. And judging by the reaction across South Carolina — and now the country — she’s not alone.

Turns out, the manger’s still got more muscle than the mayor’s memo.

Fox News

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