Last Time: The third Business Meeting of 2011 continued as Deacon Dewey Holly’s Driving While Intoxicated charge was finally addressed.
October 8, 2011
With her eyes shut, Sister Gloria Henderson was visibly restraining herself as Sister Deborah Holly and Sister Ester Harris ordered Sis. Henderson to, “…shut up already!”
Sis. Henderson opened her eyes during this session of verbal abuse, stating in Sis. Holly’s direction, “I asked the Lord to help me because if I was a lesser Christian I would’ve shut you up without praying for you. Um, hum.”
Pastor Cyrus Payton asked for everyone to settle themselves and give Deacon Dewey Holly his chance to speak.
Using his right crutch to lean on, Dcn. Holly addressed the DWI as, “…a silly mistake that’s been blown way out of proportion.”
For some reason, Dcn. Holly brought up supposed rumors that he had been cheating on his wife. Dcn. Holly expressed his disappointment about the current situation and his humbleness (“I am that humble.”).
Dcn. Holly admitted he had planned to speak to the church about the incident, but only when he felt like it, “…and after I took the time to speak with my fellow deacons and God. And I took the advice of my fellow deacons. I talked to God and he hasn’t told me to do anything differently. I know what God wants me to do, and I don’t care what y’all do. But just so y’all know, I don’t care about this position. Nowhere in the Bible does it say anything about a ‘Chairman of the Deacon Board’.”
Slightly turning to face Pastor Payton, Dcn. Holly stated that Pastor Payton kept the Deacon Board in the dark when it came to this meeting’s agenda. This angered Deacon Roscoe Calhoun and Sis. Ester Harris so much that Pastor Payton had to take them into the church sanctuary to calm them.
With all eyes on Dcn. Holly following the escorting of Dcn. Calhoun and Sis. Harris out of room, the Chairman of the Deacon Board directed his next statement at Sis. Henderson, “(Sis. Henderson) wants me to step down, but I’m not!”
When Sis. Henderson reiterated the dismissal of the other deacon due to his drinking, Dcn. Holly asked, “I don’t know how many things (Deacon) Cedric Hart did before he got kicked out, but it happens to me once and I’m condemned?”
After Dcn. Holly’s comment drew agreeing nods from the deacons, Sis. Henderson questioned the Deacon Board, “If all the deacons agree with Deacon Holly, then I wonder if they need to step down because I don’t know if they’re doing right.”
Sis. Henderson’s words drew the ire of Sis. Deborah Holly, forcing Sis. Holly to reveal that Sis. Henderson called the Holly home to leave a nasty message on their answering machine.
Hearing Sis. Holly order, “Tell it all!” caused Sis. Henderson to admit that she did call the Holly family.
Sis. Henderson reminded Sis. Holly that Deborah called first, warning Sis. Henderson to not spread rumors about Dcn. Holly’s crash and subsequent arrest. Sis. Henderson called Sis. Holly, explaining that she just wanted to get the entire story from someone since Dcn. Holly refused to contact anyone and explain his side of the story.
The Dcn. Holly-supporters verbally jumped Sis. Henderson about calling church members to tell them what happened to Dcn. Holly when she didn’t have all of the information.
When Sis. Henderson tried to defend herself, Sis. Holly demanded that Pastor Payton settle this situation; stating, “As a pastor, you need to stop this! Be a man! Be a man and stop this!”
