Baptist Pastor: "I Own This Church"

[Jerome]

Police Called in Power Struggle at L.A. Second Baptist Church

in response to a petition from the required minimum of 50 church members, LaVon Gilmore, president of the Board of Trustees and president of the Second Baptist Church Corporation, convened a church members’ meeting at the close of Sunday’s 11 a.m. service and [Rev. William] Epps did not want the members to meet.
At first, Epps engaged an off-duty LAPD officer to make the members leave the church. The officer stood in the pulpit and ordered the members out, stating: “This church belongs to Pastor Epps and he does not want you in here holding any meeting.”

The officer said: “I can make a call and have 50 LAPD officers down here to make you leave.” The members yelled: ”Do it!,” as they hunkered down in the pews.

Epps was heard saying: “I own this church and I don’t want these people in it.”

 

[Don]

Yup, that's a *real* man of God.

 

[TomVols]

It is very common around these parts for IFB pastors to literally own the church bldg and property.

 

[billwald]

In the Pacific North West Classis of the CRC a Korean (from the old country) pastor sold "his" church to another Korean pastor and changed the locks. In the old country pastors own their church.

It took classis several years and way over $100K in legal costs to resolve the matter in favor of the CRC.

 

[JTornado1]

So much for Christ being the head of the church.

 

[jaigner]

No big shock. That's the extreme of what happens when a church becomes about a personality. It's not just IFB - I can think of a dozen SBC churches that are like that just off the top of my head.

 

[Dr. Bob]

Sad, but too often true. But call in the cops? Now THAT is over the top.

 

[Squire Robertsson]

It is very common around these parts for IFB pastors to literally own the church bldg and property.

And I'd say they were\are churches out of order.

 

[targus]

And I'd say they were\are churches out of order.

Not sure why you would think that.

The local called out assembly used to meet in homes - that were privately owned.

When did the local church make the jump to corporate ownership of a building to break bread?

What is the biblical support for corporately owned church buildings?

 

[Alive in Christ]

Wow. Just wow.

What a shamefull situation this one is.

 

[SaggyWoman]

What is the biblical support for corporately owned church buildings?

Many churches which only use their buildings on Sundays and wednesdays are the biggest waste I think I have ever seen. Why have a building then??