Arizona sun., 1950-05-19
BY G. G. DOBBS

Dy We OOOO0
Rev. w. A. Washington was Ous-
ted as pastor of the Mt. Calvary
Baptist Church by a vote of ITO
, to "a, in the church meeting held
under the direction of the Super
ior Court of Maricopa County, last
Sunday afternoon at 2:30 pm, May
IA.
The 10 members that Rev. Wash
ington attempted to oust several
months ago were restored to good
standing, that they were not right
fully ousted at that time. 81 voted
for their restoration. S9 voted
against it.
The Deacons and Trustees sup
porters of Rev. Washington were
ousted from office by vote of
1O7 to 80.
5 Attorney Harold Whitney, who
was appointed by the court as
master in the proceeding to set
tie the dispute, presided at this
meeting held in the church. Both
sides had agreed to stipulation for
this means of settlement before
Judge Don T. Udall of st. Johns.
Own Trap Catches Setter
It appears that when Rev. Wash
ington ousted the 10 members sew
eral months ago he also hailed
them before the court to restrain
them from coming to church. That
is how the matter got into court.
In defense, the ousted members
ELL - orocc ooy,o nj oinf flor cav.
eral court sessions the Reverand
becomes tangled up in his strategy
and in the end finds himself on the
outside with his tail in the trap
set for the 19.
1t Was Mothers Day
Mrs. E. C. Jacobs, the mother
of Mt. Calvary, who is also the
widow of the Rev. Jacobs, former
pastor of Mt. Calvary, was one OF
the 19 members ousted by Rev.
Washington. The church on Moth
ers' Day paid beautiful tribute in
restoring her to good standing.
No arges were ever filed
against the 10 ouSted members nor
were they ever permitted an open
hearing before the church body.
That is the reason the judge rlued
that the church should have
vote on whether they were right
7 fully excluded by Washington.
Leading up to all of this, we
find that a battle has been going
on for three years on the part OF
Rev. Washington to put Mt. Cal
vary in the National Baptist Con-
vention Incorporated which is the
Williams faction. Mt. Calvary has
always been in the National Bap-
tist convention, which is another
denomination altogether. The con-
vention minutes show that in Tex
as. California and elsewhere, Rev.
washington has represented both
himself. Mt. Calvary and the mis-
sionary in the Williams faction
side by side with Rev. L. B. Nelson
of the First Inst. Baptist Church.
Nelson's church is with the Will
liams faction. Mt. Calvary has new
er given anyone authority to
change her denomination, which
is headed by Boyd. :,
Mt. Calvary's choir, known all
over the state for it's loveliness and
beauty, is also member OF the
Arizona singing convention of the
National Baptist Convention
(Boyd). It is not of the Williams
faction. Many of the 19 mentioned
above are members of this choir
who had regular singing date
several weeks ago in Tucson, as is
their annual custom. Washington
wanted the choir to come over to
the Nelson outfit in the Williams
faction, by just ignoring their own
connection with the Boyd conven-
ton.
From the letters I have received
from as far away as Nashville and
Chicago it appears that the Rev.
Washington is well known. 1t also
seems that he follows the same