Drama at Greater Faith Missionary Baptist Church as Board Sought to Fire Rev. LaVell Jones, but Deacons who Sided with Him Ousted Board

Greater Faith Missionary Baptist Church board votes to fire Pastor LaVell Jones, but deacons siding with him fire the board, the infighting became so intense police were called after tussle over collection money.

What's going on at Greater Faith Missionary Baptist Church in Stockton, CA? The church board sought to fire Pastor LaVell Jones but the drama unfolded when the deacons who sided with him, ousted the board. Oh what a tangled web we weave when we have a snake in the pulpit.

"The deacons are outright villains," fumed Jesse Nabors, a former city councilman and church board member. So tense has the infighting become that police were called after a tussle over collection money.

It's a sad state of affairs for a once-flourishing church that grew to 500 members in the 1980s, and which fed the poor in nearby Columbus Park.

Membership has sagged to 135, by one estimate, as members recoil from politicking, intimidation, slander and other acts that are not what Jesus would do.

The church's bylaws give the board the right to call for a vote of the congregation. However, the deacons (church officers who help the pastor with religious duties) refused to communicate the decision to the congregation.

This is like a soap opera playing out in Stockton. All I can say is "Jesus take the wheel...." To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.