St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1954-11-26

officials and members who oppos
ed his "one-man" methods of run
ming the church. Many of thos,
ousted had belonged to the church
for over so years and helped it Il
acquire worldwide fame
The 17-page bill of complaint
filed in Cook County Superior
Court, was drawn up for 81 of tn,
expelled members by nationally
famed NAACP counsel and Uni.
versity of Chicago law professor
Robert r, Ming, in association
with his partner, the veteran civ
law practitioner, Loring b. Moore
1t was the opening gun fired in the
about battle of the petitioners tc
be reinstated in the church. This
development could conceivably af.
feet DR.. Jackson's presidency OF
the National Baptist Convention
to which he was elected in 1858.
Luxury Parsonage Target
Most explosive issue in the suit
is the luxurious S35,000 eight.
room parsonage purchased in 1851
by the church for the tenancy OF
Jackson and his family. This was
a radical departure for a church
which never before during its 106
years of organization had to pro-
vide living quarters for its pastor
The parsonage, located in the ex-
elusive Hyde Park residential dis
trict, contains approximately $685.
900 worth of furnishings, also
bought with church money.
Because none of the former
trustees, deacons and other Off
Gals, their wives as well as the
general congregation said to num-
Der 10000, had ever been invited
as a group to inspect the parson-
age and its premises as is custom
ary-demands to see what the
money was spent for crystaiized
into open hostility between Jack
son and the pioneer officials
These men and women had spent
most of their lives in the services
of the church which. during the
pastorship of the late DR.. L. X.
Williams (1e16-194D became the
largest Baptist congregation in
the world. power in religious.
political and community circles.
jackson Junked Boy Scouts
Many useful church services
that for years had been a source
of pride, were arbitrarily junked
after Jackson took command Is
years ago following his selection
from the pastorate of Philadel-
phia church. Among things dis
continued by Jackson, was an Of
fetal branch of the Chicago Pub
lie Library, one of the best re-
creational programs of any church
that included topflight basketball
baseball and volleyball teams; a
weekly church herald. Boy
Scout organization that used to
regularly win city-wide honors for
efficiency and many other pro-
grams.
Irked by persistent demands of
the plaintiffs for regular business
meetings and submission of finan-
cial reports and audits as re-
quired by church bylaws and
rules, Jackson. il was alleged
gained partial revenge several
years ago when he brought about
the expulsion Of five lifelong MEM
bers of the deacon board. Two of
the five have since died, repeatedly
Of broken hearts over their dismiss
sal from the church they helped
build.
Alarmed at the high handed"
manner in which Jackson was run
ming the church. other trustees
and officials, including former
State Senator William e. King.
prominent undertaken. Stephen A.
Griffin. Fred d Moore and Henry
E Henderson began initiating de-
mands that the pastor and his
'hand-picked cabinet" adhere
strictly TO church regulations con-
corning meetings. elections and ac-
eountings Of what was being done
with the money,
Hit Use Of Church Assets
They were greatly concerned,
the petition states, over the use OF
the church's assets in amounts dis
proportionate 10 the total assets
for the parsonage and its fur
nishings- Consequently, they step
ped up their requests that the
jackson contingent render true
and itemized statements" as 70 the
disbursement OF church funds and
particularly as 10 the cost Of the
parsonage and its upkeep
These assets in 1851, the petit
ton relates, were worth approx
mately $4,000 including the
church building at 3ist Street and
South Parkway which IL valued a,
SIS 900. Vacant land surrounding
fOorff,...-s - A.