Shiloh Congregants File Suit Against Shaw Church
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A GROUP OF DISSIDENT CONGREGANTS from Shaw's historic African-American Shiloh Baptist Church filed a lawsuit on Wednesday in D.C. Superior Court to remove its pastor, the Rev. Wallace Charles Smith. The lawsuit, which also names the interim chairmen of the church's board of trustees and board of deacons, marks a ratcheting up of turmoil at the church, where a faction of church members held a no-confidence vote on Aug. 11.
A church meeting on the internal strife over Smith is planned for Sept. 15, but it's unclear because of the lawsuit whether that will go on as planned.
In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs allege that Smith has mismanaged Shiloh-owned properties in Shaw: "In the past eighteenth months of his tenure at Shiloh ... Smith sold two properties, subjected six properties to condemnation proceedings by the District of Columbia, lowered the public health standards for the restaurant business conducted by the Church, that resulted in health code violations, and failed to implement any viable plan for renovation of the deteriorating real properties."
The suit also alleges that Smith's second full-time job helming a Philadelphia-area seminary constitutes a breach of the pastor's Shiloh contract.
The plaintiffs group, which numbers about 120 church members, includes descendants of Shiloh's original congregation, which moved to Washington from Fredericksburg during the Civil War.
Smith tells The Post that the church is reviewing the lawsuit and would not comment further, but did say that the "New Testament prohibits Christians from taking other Christians before secular magistrates. Bible-believing Christians know and understand this."
The church, located at 9th and P streets NW, has been at odds with neighbors in Shaw over its stewardship of vacant properties and its fight to keep the vegetarian restaurant Vegetate from securing a liquor license. The eatery eventually received a license despite the battle.
» "Members Sue for Pastor's Removal" [WaPo, second item]
EARLIER:
» "In Shaw, Shiloh Spat Is Front and Center" [Free Ride/Express]
» "In Shaw, a Victory for Vegetate" [Free Ride/Express]
Photo by Kevin Clark/The Washington Post
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Addison Road
don't forget that the queen of sheba restaurant across the street from the church is also fighting for a license as well.
By IMGoph , Posted August 30, 2007 1:52 PMI'm certain then that Pastor Smith is also critical of the children who were molested in the Catholic church who took their abusers to court.
The good Pastor should recall that Jesus himself said "If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also." Well, it sounds like the flock is feeling mighty cold, and is suing to get their tunic back.
By AUA , Posted August 30, 2007 2:00 PMThe article's description of Shiloh's 'stewardship of vacant properties'is a nice way of writing that Shiloh Baptist harms the neighborhood every day by maintaining numerous dilapidated, abandoned, dangerous buildings in Shaw. In addition, as commenter #1 notes, it is blocking the efforts of a family-owned Ethiopian restaurant across the street from receiving it's needed and well-deserved license. Then there is the issue of traffic safety and law breaking every Sunday with it's congregants double-parking willy-nilly throughtout the area. When will Shiloh stop acting as a bad neighbor??
By justice for shaw , Posted August 31, 2007 10:58 AM