Church Members Brawl After Voting to Remove Allegedly Spendthrift, 'Money Hungry,' Disrespectful Pastor
Normal worship service at a Jackson, Mississippi church was halted Sunday after members erupted in an ugly brawl over their allegedly spendthrift, "money hungry" and disrespectful pastor who refused to relinquish his pulpit after they voted him out a day before for reportedly abusing his role.
A WJTV report said things got so heated police had to be called in to keep the peace.
The members of New Galilean Baptist Church said they also wanted their fairly new pastor, Orlando D. Franklin, out because of his autocratic leadership style and his penchant for silencing congregants.
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"He silences people," Randall Bolden, a church member, told WJTV. "If you don't agree with him then you can't talk. And somebody wanted to say something on the mic previously and there have been three instances when people have tried to talk in church and he turned off the mic. And he said you're not allowed to talk. I am the head, basically. And that's the problem that we've had."
Prior to Sunday's brawl, about 300 people signed a petition to remove him from the church. They intended to deliver the petition to Franklin on Sunday but the pastor refused to face them choosing instead to lock himself and certain deacons and trustees safely in his office.
WJTV News Channel 12Franklin and his team have, according to church members, been essentially cleaning the church of members who do not fall in line behind the new leadership.
"And so they will send them a letter telling them that they're no longer needed in their positions or that they can find another church home," said Ricky Bolden another church member about Franklin's leadership tactics. "And it has happened multiple times. And everyone here is just exhausted with it. And this entire process has been ridiculous."
Some members, however, disagree with the critical church members, arguing that they have not given Franklin a fair chance to do his job.
"And they have been fighting this man since the beginning and it doesn't make any sense," explained church member Rhonda Andrews. "He (pastor) is a godly man and he's not doing anything wrong. And I wish that they would stop."
Glenn Robinson, another church member who wants Franklin gone, said the members are justified in their call to get rid of him.
"We're not trying to take over," he said. "We're not trying to do anything, but when people are in leadership positions and they don't do what they're supposed to do. We just, as the body, have to take action. We don't want to be governed by the court. We have got to be governed by God."
