Second Baptist pastor, deacon held liable in lawsuit; ordered to pay $500K
Tears and hugs were abundant among members of Second Baptist Church in Starkville on Wednesday afternoon.
The 12-day trial for a five-year lawsuit in Oktibbeha County Circuit Court ended with financial penalties against Pastor Joseph Stone and Head Deacon Terry Miller, after the jury found them responsible for negotiating a May 2013 contract with Long Beach-based TCM Construction to build a new sanctuary without the church’s board of trustees’ approval and withholding money collected through church offerings from the trustees.
Second Baptist leaders claim they followed majority of congregants’ will
Pastor Joseph Stone and Head Deacon Terry Miller of Second Baptist Church in Starkville denied wrongdoing from the witness stand last week in a civil trial over a church dispute over the failed construction of a new sanctuary.
Witnesses describe deception, push for ‘obedience’ from Second Baptist pastor
Before September 2015, Bennie Hairston trusted Rev. Joseph Stone.
Witness: Second Baptist pastor created ‘cult-like following’ over failed sanctuary project
Tasers. Threats of violence. Police alerted to show up at the first sign of trouble.
Business meetings at Second Baptist Church in Starkville had become contentious, even dangerous, as the congregation was divided due to a years-long dispute over a failed construction project, Charles Ware, a spokesman and adviser for the church’s board of trustees, said Tuesday on the witness stand in Oktibbeha County Circuit Court.
Second man arrested in shooting death of Mississippi pastor
A second man has been charged with killing a Mississippi pastor who was unlocking his small church Sunday morning.
Pastor shot to death while unlocking Mississippi church
A pastor in Mississippi’s capital city was shot to death while unlocking his small church for worship services, and his truck was stolen, police said.
Trump celebrates return of American pastor from Turkey
President Donald Trump welcomed American pastor Andrew Brunson to the Oval Office on Saturday, celebrating his release from nearly two years of confinement in Turkey that had sparked a diplomatic row with a key ally and outcry from U.S. evangelical groups.
Hattiesburg pastor appeals corruption conviction
A Hattiesburg pastor has appealed his conviction for stealing $60,000 in federal housing grants.
Life in tune: A new kidney, a new year in harmony for a local pastor
Pastor Jerry Potter’s eyes take on a grateful gleam as he talks about events of the past six weeks.
Hattiesburg pastor convicted in federal theft case
A Hattiesburg pastor was convicted Monday on three counts of conspiracy and theft in a federal case involving money skimmed from a federal housing program.
City pays pastor $10k settlement
A Columbus pastor who accused the city of violating his right to freedom of speech in 2011 has been awarded $10,000-plus.
Pastor accused of affairs temporarily banned
An Alabama Baptist minister who confessed to having sex with married church members and neglecting to tell them he had AIDS was temporarily banned Thursday from acting as pastor.
Young is new leader of National Baptist Convention
A Jackson, Mississippi, pastor has been elected the new president of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., the largest group of black Christians in the United States.
Interfaith house of prayer to be built in Berlin
A rabbi, an imam and a priest start praying together under the same roof. It may sound like the start of a joke, but hopes are high it will become reality in Berlin.
Pastor defrocked over gay wedding reinstated
A Pennsylvania pastor who broke church law by presiding over his son’s same-sex wedding ceremony and then became an outspoken activist for gay rights can return to the pulpit after a United Methodist Church appeals panel on Tuesday overturned a decision to defrock him.
City answers First Amendment lawsuit, denies wrongdoing
The city of Columbus has asked a judge to dismiss a federal lawsuit a local pastor filed after being arrested while taking part in a pro-life rally three years ago.
Southern Baptists choose Arkansas pastor for president
An Arkansas megachurch pastor was elected Tuesday to lead the country’s Southern Baptists as the conservative denomination tries to turn around declining membership, church attendance and baptisms and faces increasing conflict with mainstream culture, especially over its conviction that gay sex is immoral.
Pastor files suit against city over 2011 arrest
A local pastor arrested beside a Columbus street three years ago while taking part in a pro-life rally has filed a federal lawsuit against the city and one of its police officers.
Westboro’s Phelps tested free speech with anti-gay protests
Fred Phelps did not care what you thought of his Westboro Baptist Church, nor did he care if you heard its message that society’s tolerance for gay people is the root of all earthly evil.
Kentucky snake handler death doesn’t shake congregation’s belief
Three days after pastor Jamie Coots died from a rattlesnake bite at church, mourners leaving the funeral went to the church to handle snakes.