Pastor’s son sentenced for pointing gun at church member during dispute

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Tuesday, June 13, 2023

Cedric Taylor, the son of Bishop Jerry Wayne Taylor of Holy City Church of God in Christ Memphis, Tennessee, where former Vice President Mike Pence delivered a campaign speech in 2020,  was slapped with a suspended sentence Friday for pulling a gun at a former longtime member inside the church in February.

Jamillah Zarif, the former church member, told WREG  that Cedric Taylor left her traumatized when he threatened her with a gun inside the church on Feb. 12. Last Friday, the pastor's son received a suspended one-year sentence for his assault on Zarif. He was also placed on probation for a year and must do anger management over the period.

"It was a horrible, terrifying thing and very traumatizing at the same time," Zarif told WREG. "I never would've thought something like this would happen. It's real heartbreaking and very emotional."

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When asked about the situation between Zarif and Cedric Taylor Tuesday, Doris Taylor, a representative of the just over 800-member Holy City Church of God, told The Christian Post that the church is doing well. She had nothing to say about the assault charge against her pastor's son.

Zarif, who said she had been a member of the church for 13 years before leaving in 2019, told WREG that she returned to the church with her mother, who is still a member, in February to celebrate the pastor's 35th Founders' Day service.

She said she was "just going to visit to support him and love on him at the same time" because "It's where I got saved and baptized at and it'll just be a part of my heart until the day, I leave this side."

A police statement cited by the news outlet said at the end of the Feb. 12 service, Zarif and her family tried to speak with the pastor but were prevented from doing so, which triggered an argument. Zarif said the argument was due to a misunderstanding with Bishop Taylor's wife about why they couldn't visit him.

During the argument, Zarif said Cedric Taylor intervened and introduced a gun.

"Ced walked up by that time and said, 'What did you say? What did you say?' And I looked down, and he had a gun," she said.

Zarif said Cedric Taylor walked up to her and pointed the gun at her stomach for approximately 30 seconds.

"I asked him, 'Why do you have a gun, Ced? Why do you have a gun?' I was holding my chest because I was so shocked," she told the news outlet, noting, "A lot of people started gathering, holding him back."

She said she is grateful she was not physically harmed but wished the church had apologized.

"Hopefully, one day, they'll call and say, 'Hey Jamilla, I love you, still love you even though what has gone on,'" she said.