Do you remember Nascar Legend David Pearson?
12/23/04, 08:59 AM
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Family feud divides Baptist church
By Jason Spencer | Staff Writer
jason.spencer@shj.com
A certified letter makes being forgiven of your trespasses a little tricky. Long-brewing division within a small church boiled over on Sunday, leading to a sheriff's deputy positioned at its front door to enforce trespass notices against a dozen or so members.
Read: politics, personality conflicts and an extended family feud of the worst kind. And many of the would-be outcasts of Whitney First Baptist Church on David Pearson Boulevard say it's not over -- including the namesake of that stretch of Highway 221.
William "Claude" Thomason says he's been a lifelong member of Whitney. He knows well the church's history, especially the bumpy last several years. Thomason, a 53-year-old former deacon chairman, and his wife were turned away on Sunday.
"I said, 'Is this not a church for sinners? Do you not come here to ask for forgiveness?' " Thomason said. "This is not right. This is not the Christian thing to do."
In an interview, Thomason accused Whitney's pastor, the Rev. Curtis Jones, of orchestrating in-fighting between church members and creating a rift. Jones did not return several messages left on his home and cellular phones.
Robby Israel, the current chairman of deacons at Whitney First Baptist Church, signed each trespass notice -- including the one to Thomason, his uncle, and to Vera Israel, his mother. He declined to elaborate on Whitney's woes.
"I'm not at liberty to say," Israel said. "It's church business."
NASCAR legend David Pearson, who has attended Whitney for years, said he didn't feel welcome on Sunday, either. His girlfriend, Ann Foy, was one of those to receive a notice by certified mail. He wasn't sure whether one was coming for him, too. But that was enough.
"It seems like everybody who don't agree with the preacher. … He's afraid they're going to get rid of him, so he's trying to get rid of them first," Pearson said. "We tried to get the preacher to come out and tell us what was wrong. And he wouldn't talk to us."
Pearson, a prominent community member and financial supporter of the church, called the entire escapade a "misunderstanding." Friends say he is considering filing a lawsuit, to which he responded, "I don't know. If I can't go in, I probably will."
The church, situated just north of the Spartanburg city limits, is not large. Regular attendance Sunday morning clocks in between 50 and 60 people.
Conflict is no stranger at Whitney. Thomason, a self-described stickler for policy, procedure and bylaws in the Southern Baptist Convention, said he voluntarily left about two years ago because tension was high. He didn't want that to come between him and his nephew.
Thomason said he already had asked Jones to resign, which sparked the conflict. Two women approached Thomason a few weeks ago to apologize. It was wrong for him to have left, they said. And this prompted Thomason to return, reviving the past.
Expect the situation to get worse before it gets better. Allegations have begun to fly regarding the personal and professional conduct of several involved.
A church is like any other property, and its owners can legally decide who can or can't be on its grounds, said Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office Capt. Mike Creek.
"We've had instances in the past, where a church has been divided, and we'd have to keep the peace," Creek said. "Our only involvement would be to make sure there weren't any problems."
FOLLOW UP ARTICLE TODAY:
Banished worshipers can return to church
By Alexander Morrison | Staff Writer
Fourteen worshipers at the Whitney First Baptist Church will be back in the pews for Christmas after church officials agreed to stop enforcing a no-trespassing order against them.
"The preacher did apologize and said he would apologize in church Sunday," said NASCAR legend David Pearson, who was one of the worshipers who filed suit to be allowed back in the church. "They found out we were right."
Six church members and eight others who worship regularly at Whitney had been barred from entering the sanctuary since Nov. 21, when trespass notices kept them from Sunday services.
Church deacons agreed to let the banned members return to worship after a mediation session Tuesday that lasted hours. Lawyers for both sides were present.
The agreement preempted a hearing at the Spartanburg County Courthouse that had been scheduled for Wednesday morning.
Banned members were seeking an injunction that would have allowed them to return to church.
The banishment was the culmination of a long-running disagreement within the church, according to attorneys and church members.
The notices were signed by the deacon board Chairman Robby Israel, Deacon Gerald Pruitt and Deacon Earl Stroud.
The notices informed worshipers that their presence was "no longer desired" at the church. Anyone violating the notice was subject to arrest. A sheriff's deputy was on scene Nov. 21 to make sure none tried to gain entry.
The barred worshipers filed for a court injunction Dec. 17 so they would be able to attend services around Christmas.
Members claimed their banishment went against the church's bylaws, which gave them the right to a church hearing before their membership was terminated.
A court hearing on the injunction was scheduled for Wednesday, but the issue was resolved Tuesday in a meeting between church deacons and banned members.
"They said we can come back," said William Thomason, a Whitney member.
"Some misunderstandings were resolved, and their membership as a whole recognized the quality of their relationship," said attorney John B. White Jr., who represented the church deacons. White called the resolution "a great Christmas story."
Israel had no comment about the resolution.
He did, however, express his desire to keep the conflict's apparent end a private church matter.
Alexander Morrison can be reached at 562-7215 or alex.morrison@shj.com.
By Jason Spencer | Staff Writer
jason.spencer@shj.com
A certified letter makes being forgiven of your trespasses a little tricky. Long-brewing division within a small church boiled over on Sunday, leading to a sheriff's deputy positioned at its front door to enforce trespass notices against a dozen or so members.
Read: politics, personality conflicts and an extended family feud of the worst kind. And many of the would-be outcasts of Whitney First Baptist Church on David Pearson Boulevard say it's not over -- including the namesake of that stretch of Highway 221.
William "Claude" Thomason says he's been a lifelong member of Whitney. He knows well the church's history, especially the bumpy last several years. Thomason, a 53-year-old former deacon chairman, and his wife were turned away on Sunday.
"I said, 'Is this not a church for sinners? Do you not come here to ask for forgiveness?' " Thomason said. "This is not right. This is not the Christian thing to do."
In an interview, Thomason accused Whitney's pastor, the Rev. Curtis Jones, of orchestrating in-fighting between church members and creating a rift. Jones did not return several messages left on his home and cellular phones.
Robby Israel, the current chairman of deacons at Whitney First Baptist Church, signed each trespass notice -- including the one to Thomason, his uncle, and to Vera Israel, his mother. He declined to elaborate on Whitney's woes.
"I'm not at liberty to say," Israel said. "It's church business."
NASCAR legend David Pearson, who has attended Whitney for years, said he didn't feel welcome on Sunday, either. His girlfriend, Ann Foy, was one of those to receive a notice by certified mail. He wasn't sure whether one was coming for him, too. But that was enough.
"It seems like everybody who don't agree with the preacher. … He's afraid they're going to get rid of him, so he's trying to get rid of them first," Pearson said. "We tried to get the preacher to come out and tell us what was wrong. And he wouldn't talk to us."
Pearson, a prominent community member and financial supporter of the church, called the entire escapade a "misunderstanding." Friends say he is considering filing a lawsuit, to which he responded, "I don't know. If I can't go in, I probably will."
The church, situated just north of the Spartanburg city limits, is not large. Regular attendance Sunday morning clocks in between 50 and 60 people.
Conflict is no stranger at Whitney. Thomason, a self-described stickler for policy, procedure and bylaws in the Southern Baptist Convention, said he voluntarily left about two years ago because tension was high. He didn't want that to come between him and his nephew.
Thomason said he already had asked Jones to resign, which sparked the conflict. Two women approached Thomason a few weeks ago to apologize. It was wrong for him to have left, they said. And this prompted Thomason to return, reviving the past.
Expect the situation to get worse before it gets better. Allegations have begun to fly regarding the personal and professional conduct of several involved.
A church is like any other property, and its owners can legally decide who can or can't be on its grounds, said Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office Capt. Mike Creek.
"We've had instances in the past, where a church has been divided, and we'd have to keep the peace," Creek said. "Our only involvement would be to make sure there weren't any problems."
FOLLOW UP ARTICLE TODAY:
Banished worshipers can return to church
By Alexander Morrison | Staff Writer
Fourteen worshipers at the Whitney First Baptist Church will be back in the pews for Christmas after church officials agreed to stop enforcing a no-trespassing order against them.
"The preacher did apologize and said he would apologize in church Sunday," said NASCAR legend David Pearson, who was one of the worshipers who filed suit to be allowed back in the church. "They found out we were right."
Six church members and eight others who worship regularly at Whitney had been barred from entering the sanctuary since Nov. 21, when trespass notices kept them from Sunday services.
Church deacons agreed to let the banned members return to worship after a mediation session Tuesday that lasted hours. Lawyers for both sides were present.
The agreement preempted a hearing at the Spartanburg County Courthouse that had been scheduled for Wednesday morning.
Banned members were seeking an injunction that would have allowed them to return to church.
The banishment was the culmination of a long-running disagreement within the church, according to attorneys and church members.
The notices were signed by the deacon board Chairman Robby Israel, Deacon Gerald Pruitt and Deacon Earl Stroud.
The notices informed worshipers that their presence was "no longer desired" at the church. Anyone violating the notice was subject to arrest. A sheriff's deputy was on scene Nov. 21 to make sure none tried to gain entry.
The barred worshipers filed for a court injunction Dec. 17 so they would be able to attend services around Christmas.
Members claimed their banishment went against the church's bylaws, which gave them the right to a church hearing before their membership was terminated.
A court hearing on the injunction was scheduled for Wednesday, but the issue was resolved Tuesday in a meeting between church deacons and banned members.
"They said we can come back," said William Thomason, a Whitney member.
"Some misunderstandings were resolved, and their membership as a whole recognized the quality of their relationship," said attorney John B. White Jr., who represented the church deacons. White called the resolution "a great Christmas story."
Israel had no comment about the resolution.
He did, however, express his desire to keep the conflict's apparent end a private church matter.
Alexander Morrison can be reached at 562-7215 or alex.morrison@shj.com.
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