In an interview with the Times on Tuesday, Lyons attempted again to end some of the controversies that have dogged him for months. Those taxes have now been paid, Lyons said, adding that he intends to get rid of the car. As for the house, it could be on the market next month. In the spring of 1995, Union Planters Bank of Middle Tennessee made a deal with Lyons. The bank wanted to market credit cards to members of the convention, a group that claims to represent 8.5-million people.
Officials representing the bank say the type of arrangement was common in the credit card industry.
The convention was expected to deliver thousands of its members as credit card customers and then would receive a cut of the profits in exchange. Few convention members signed up. The bank said it had not received interest payments since October 1996. The National Baptist Convention has 30 days to file a response to the lawsuit. Neither Lyons nor his attorney could be reached Tuesday evening.