Posted on 09/11/2013 5:19:41 AM PDT by Morgana
Hamlin, WV -
The mayor of Hamlin, WV was asked to resign as pastor of his church after he let Lincoln County Sheriff's deputies use the church bus in a drug bust.
Chris Wilkinson has a few jobs in Lincoln County. He's the mayor, the Chief of Police, and up until Monday, was the pastor of Morningstar Community Church. After being pastor for ten years, he said his congregation asked him to resign. He said the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department asked him if they could use the church's bus last Thursday. Nine officers needed to get to a meth bust in Harts without being noticed. Mayor Wilkinson said. "Rumor had it that people living at the mouth of the holler were calling them people living up in the holler, telling them that the police were coming."
He said the officers parked their cruisers in Hamlin, and rode to the scene of the meth bust in the bus. Three people were arrested on meth related charges as a result but Wilkinson said his congregation wasn't happy that the church bus was used by the Sheriff's Department. Then, he said he got the phone call from a church member Monday night asking him to resign.
He said he stands by his decision. The mayor said this wasn't the first time the bus was used in this capacity. He said the State Police used it around three months ago and netted nine arrests. "I just assumed since they didn't care that time, that they wouldn't care for me doing it again," said Wilkinson.
(Excerpt) Read more at wowktv.com ...
Could you please fix the title? It should say “Church Bus”
thanks.
More likely that some of his flock were mad because they had to bail their family out of jail. I coukd see them being concerned that their bus might be targeted while church members were using it.
Trust in the church took a hit with this ill-conceived stunt. What other activities of the church could be undercover operations? This is what the founders feared, the church as an arm of the state.
Well this IS WV, and the “community” consisted in the past of a different group of locals (shine runners),who are now in the meth business. Both debilitating businesses, and both manipulated the churches. The control of the place is the coal companies, and legendary are the tales of how people have tried to escape.
True in KY also in certain areas.
“More likely that some of his flock were mad because they had to bail their family out of jail.”
I so never thought of that! I can believe it however. Small towns and such.
Look at the bright side of it however. Now they may use the church bus to take relatives to county lockup and hold religious services for the inmates!!
Hey Revolting cat! - is this any of our business?
I support the mayor/pastor!!!
FReepers did the mayor/pastor really do a bad thing? I thought the church was suppose to help the community. Meth is a serious problem and by lending the bus it was a great help. Not like the officers were putting meth materials in the bus.
Who's actually responsible for the use of the church's property? The pastor may not be.
“Who’s actually responsible for the use of the church’s property?”
Don’t know that. Not a church member. However I thought the pastor had the final say on everything?
In a scipturally-organized church, the pulpit minister is merely a hired hand with the job to preach to the faithful in worship services and provide supportive ministry (visit the sick, comfort the grieving, etc.) at other times. The elders have the responsibility to run the church, including discipline of the pulpit minister and to oversee church operations, like use of the bus.
This guy allowed power to go to his head. He had no right to use church property that way without approval.
A church member? Just one? My priest once told me that if he didn't have at least a part of the congregation mad at him about something then he wasn't doing his job.
not necessarily
Who's actually responsible for the use of the church's property? The pastor may not be.
Longer answer, it depends on polity. There may be a properties committee. A board of elders may have the final say. The pastor may very well not be top dog.
Agreed. And it also smacks of smearing the “line” between church and state.
The church counsel has the final say, not the pastor.
Looks like he got thrown under the bus.
Why didn’t he ask to use the school buses?
The apostle Paul was also that sort of Guy until he was converted, i imagine he would also have used the Church to bust up drug rings, kill Christians,throw people in jail,and do any thing else to be bigger and greater.
It was only after he was converted to Christ that he realized all of his abominations and became a leader in the Church.
Maybe this pastor needs a conversion.
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