Why This Controversial Pastor Locked His Members Out of the Church
An Alabama pastor locked his congregation out of the church on Sunday after members alleged he pocketed church funds.
Members of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church attempted to remove Pastor Willie Jackson many times, according to AL.com.
“We’re in the process of asking our pastor to vacate the pulpit, so I guess this is the way of showing us that we can’t come here and worship,” former church trustee member Ann Zellander said.
Other church members said he removed staff members and replaced them with his own family members.
“He wrote bad checks all the time … All I could do was make sure the lights weren’t cut off,” church member Valerie Kendall said. “The church money just goes into his pockets.”
Kendall said that Jackson claimed to “swindle them out of the church.”
“He said, ‘What’s the difference? They’re all dumb anyway,'” she said.
According to the church website, “Jackson is a highly regarded executive and personal teacher with over 25 years of experience in working with leaders, pastors, church staffs, and building effective ministry.”
