PUBUSHED EACH THURSDAY t> - ??
tTHE CAROLINA INDIAN VOICE ISS
Dedicated to tho bost in all of us .
????????? ? ????????????????? ?
VOLUME 7 NUMBER 4 PEMBROKE, N.C. THURSDAY. JANUARY 25, 1979 15* PER COPY
? ? ?
?
Rev. Jack Hunt, Rev. C.C.Allen, Jr.,
And Rev. Stelford Smith Publicly
Dismissed By Church Of God
Officials
' V y , ' . :f'< ? f
Accused of Sowing Discord
Pembroke--Jesus said it best of all:
"Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass
against thee, go and tell him his fault
between thee and him alone: if he shall
hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
"But if he will not hear thee, then
take with thee one or two more, that in
the mouth of two or three witnesses
every word may be established.
"And if he shall neglect to hear
them, tell it unto the church: but if he
neglect to hear the church, let him be
unto thee as an heathen man and a
publican." Matthew 18:15-18.
But said Rev. C.C. Allen, Jr., Pastor of
EastsIde Church af God in Fayetteville,
"They did it absolutely backwards to
what the Bible instructs us to do. They
came and read the letter to our
esngra gat Inn first." ? '
Sunday, January 19, 1979, during
churcheervices,R.P. Fields, district over
seer/wifca coterie of 4 or 5 other men
visited the Pembroke Church at God,
?vecsMs Cbureb pfGed in Lumberton
(during mornlhg worship) and Eaetstde
Church at God in Fayetteville (during
evening services) and dismissed the
pastors of the respective churches by
reading a public letter to the congrega
tions of the 3 churches.
The letters, all three identical, said,
in part, "It is sad, indeed, when a man
will sink so low as to deliberately
undermine and advocate insubordinate
actions against the church that has
supported him and given him a place to
minister."
The letter listed the charges against
the ministers. They were accused of: (1)
sowing discord; (2) insubordination; (3)
and advocating against governmental
policies of the Church of God.
Rev. Jack Hunt is pastor of the
Pembroke Church of God; Rev. C. C.
Alien, Jr. is pastor of Eoatridr Church
of God; and Rev. Stelford Smith is
pastor of Riverside Church of God in
Lumberton. All three are Indian minis
ters. as are most of the pastors of what
is locally known as the Pembroke Indian
Church of God District.
SOME BACKGROUND
There were eleven churches in the
Pembroke District until the district was
recently split into two .districts: the
HostsrSowa District and the Soddotree
District.
Interestingly enough, both pastors of
these tor diurdirt sor* istiss.
Rev. Jack Hunt said, is ap interview."
"Some of this contention certainly has
to do with Indian rights."
The 11 churches in the district are:
Heatertowu Church of God in Lumber
ton. Rev. Jonathan Ramkissoon, pas
tor; Saddetree Church of God, Rev.
Larry Poole, pastor; Riverside Church of
God in Lumberton, Rev. Stelford Smith,
pastor, Rowland Church of God, Rev.
Mrs. Faye Demery, pastor; Fairmont
Chorch of God, Rev. Rick Brurkett,
pastor; Eaatdde Church of God in
Fayetteville, Rev. C.C. Allen, Jr.,
pastor. Smith town Church of God,
Rev. James Maynor, pastor; Hoke
County Church of God, Rev. James W.
Hunt, pastor; and Maxtau Church of
God, Rev. Earl Kirkaey. pastor.
<
Until recently, an Indian, Rev.
Millard Maynard, was district overseer.
He was promoted last year to the
position of Southeastern Regional Di
rector for American Indian Affairs.
Maynard was replaced as district
overseer by Rev. R.P. Fields, who is
also pastor of East Laurinburg Church
of God.
Despite repeated calls to his residen
ce in Laurinburg we were unable to
contact Rev. Fields. His wife said that
he was attending a Church of God
Conference in Charlotte.
But this reporter did establish contact
with Harold B. Thompson, North
Carolina State Overseer for the Church
of God, a national church. Thompson
categorically denied any racial motives
in replacing Maynard with Fields and
splitting the Pembroke District into two
separate districts. Said Thompson, "I
split a number of districts state wide.
We try "to keep districts down tfi * or 6
churches."
Thompson also said that Revs. Hunt,
Allen and Smith were part of "an
element within the Pembroke District
that was advocating the withholding of
regular reports to the state and national
offices. They were sowing discord so we
had to do something about it."
Fields was the official who read the
letter at each church. Thompson said,
"He was >perating with my approval
and in response to my instructions to
him as the local district overseer."
When faced with the fact that the two
new district pastors were both non
Indian Thompson said, "We tried to
pick the pastors of our most stable
hurches down there. Too, we also had to
choose the ones best qualified to serve
as district pastors."
Thompson said, categorically. "I
deny any racial implications in this
matter."
Although he was unable to confirm it,
Thompson said, in response to who the
new pastor would be at Pembroke,
"Now, don't hold inu to this but I think
the new pastor will be Rev. Ronald Scott,
a local Indian pastor/' According to
information we have been able to
garner, Rev. David Carter has been
asked to assume the pastoral reins at
Eastskie Church sf God in Fayetteville.
A PERSONAL OBSERVATION FROM
ONE WHO WAS THERE...
This story evolved in part, because
my mother, Mrs. Barna Barton, attends
Pembroke Church of God. She was
sitting in church last Sunday when the
incident happened. S*e remembers, "I
was sit Oct ed I did Mfc" snow what was
going on. None of us knew what to do.
Finally, the Rev. Jack Hunt told us to go
to our classes. The man reading the
letter (evidently Fields) tried to stop us
by hollering, 'Stay Here! Stay here! 'We
went to class anyway.
"I noticed Wilson Locklear, Jr., the
Sunday School Superintendent. He was
crying. He got up without saying a word
and walked out of the sanctuary into the
back where the classrooms are. I just
felt like he was going back there to pray.
"I don't know what to do. I don't
know if I will go back or not. It was just a
terrible thing. The church seems like
the last place in the world you would
expect something like this to happen.
We're all in just a state of shock."
CONT/D ON PAGE 8
, Lowrys Become 13th and 14th
Members of PSU's Chancellor's
Club '
feawa Ml It mi Mm. Ma Umty, Or. l |l I B. 3mm mi Mr. Im PMa Uwry. IBM Haat phaM)
MUImm
PWi ??? w^| *??? PWv>
kvqr, mw n* amfean tt NbMhM
Mm UMvcnMy'i OiiiiiMir'i CM*,
?imlM *?y CM ?mM HIIIXIm I
?MMmm of 11.000 ? par nil nU
M?Mia, Mm., Mr ?m MM If mm.
ww^uwry n mm im lair mmt 4
Hrry, Tf, MM la ItTI allar
?
working tor tho SUM of North Carolina
tor 40 roort, U of which ho afoot at
Notorofeo Halo Unlvorolty as chairman
0C tllf Dtpiflf^fnt bflnd
ukLU fSL
40 ;m?i m QtoaotQo laogoagr
too. Mm' hoa (ho toMiat'poriil'of
a?t4? of ?f PIU pnSaNr ?v tialto
tototoor oo4 woa pnoootoi tho f?U
Alumni AModition's "Outstanding Sar
vk- Award" in ItTft. Sh? haa atrvad
tha univaraiiy In many, many araaa.
TKa numbar of mambars In tha
Chanaalnr'a Oub now Mala Id.
Tha Lmvrjra raaalvad a spoalal frimod
aartUUala from Chanaahai UnaNoli I
Jonaa noon dMr Inaaprtaa Mo Nw
CSdfc 9BB0VBB04 ||||
thaotstardMr loyalty In tlaa nolaaMly
In aoary mm
#
Both Mr. and Mrs Lowry said they are
joining the Chancellor's Club "because
we love what the University has done
for our community "
Lowry, who graduated from Pembroke
High School in 1929 and was in the first
chapel program ever held in Old Main
(first brick building on the PSU
campus), made this comparison: "Twen
ty years ago, no one dreamed we'd put a
man on the moon. Compared to then,
the school's facilities today seemed that
far out of reach."
Lowry said during World War II,
Pembroke State's enrollment dropped
to "only 64 students, and it looked as
though the school might have to close.
To help feed the students in the dining
hall, Albert Hunt lad in the formation
of a cooperative--the students bringing
eggs, ham, wheat and flour and
sharing. Few paid their way. We used
the money of the onea who could pay to
buy sugar for the dining hall."
COffTWUED ON PAGE 2
? ' I
Lore Sporrs
I rem
ft AggnA* is
w ^W?wl PP1
"l??? IN MU mn?illiii Ml In
WiwgeN NM4 la (MlfN. Mnra. Mft
Ml*, anal ?nri
Concerned Cirizens
Plon Polly Reference
Indion-Highwoy Porrol
Confronrorions
Pembroke- The latest incident involving
a member of the highway patrol and at
Indian citizen has prompted a number
of concerned citizens to petition the
North Carolina Indian Commission "to
do something to alleviate the matter."
The latest incident involved Tony
Blue, an Indian male, who was
hospitalized with head injuries received
when he was stopped by E.G. Brown, a
Black Highway Patrol Trooper stationed
in Robeson County.
Officials of the Indian Commission
charge that the trooper used "undue"
force in making the arrest of young
Blue. 27. "The man's actions did not
warrant the injuries he received from
the highway patrol officer," the com
mission report said following a Monday
meeting with Herbert Hyde, the
Secretary of the Department of Crime
Control and Highway Safety, the
department that the highway patrol is
under.
Tony Blue received a fractured skulK^
broken fingers and other injurie?jea*ly
op the moaning of Ja?wesy M flu*
Brown stopped him and charged him
with driving under the influence and
resisting arrest.
Blue was initially taken to Southeas
tern General Hospital about an hour
after his arrest, according to Jerry
Berklehammer, a spokesman for the
Indian Commission office in Raleigh
and did not receive treatment at the
time, according to a hospital spokesman
because he refused treatment.
According to the report released by
the Indian Commission, Blue remained
in the Lumberton jail until 4 a.m. of the
same morning when one of his brothers
posted bond. The Indian Commission
spokesman said his brother assumed he
had received medical attention
and took him home.
However, later in the morning. Blue
begam vomiting and spitting up blood
and his brother took him to Southeas
tern General Hospital in Lumberton
where he was examined and transferred
to Cape Fear Valley Hospital in i
Fayetteville where he underwent sur
gery that same Sunday night. He
remained in the intensive care unit for a
number of days and is now seemingly
recovering satisfactorily.
Bobby Chavis, the local representa
tive for the North Carolina Commission
of Indian Affairs, has taken an active
role in the case and presented it
before the Indian Commission officials
in Raleigh.
The Raleigh office called for the
meeting with Hyde which waa held
Monday morning. Hyde haa called for
an internal investigation although the
Indian Commission contends that an
internal investigation is not the best
way to resolve the matter.
The case is the latest in a number of
incidents involving Indians and mem
bers of the highway patrol. The series of
incidents have caused complaints to be
lodged in Raleigh by the Indian
Commission.
Hyde said he was calling for the
internal probe because of the sensitive
nature of relations In Robeson County
between the Indian citiaenry and the
highway patrol.
Chavls and other concerned Indian
citisens, in a meeting Wednesday,
made plans for a Public Rally to be held
at one of the Pembroke schools Friday
night. Feb. 2. The tentative date has
been set to. hopefully, rally support to
thoae like Blue who have seemingly Halt
the wrath of the patrol.
MP VIWVII IRQ
other ananiaors of the rally, Rasdo eon
be raised to hire aa autstde attorney to
Maw through en die mmpltlnu. laid
Chavia. "We need to da something an
ibej entne af rtwmgMrtawas wajte
'
i ? - 1
SELECTION OF A PERMANENT
COMMISSIONER
Assistant Secretary Gerard is con
tinuing to review recommendations
from tribal and organizational leaders
made pursuant to his memo of Novembet
27. He has conducted some interviews
and expects to talk with additional
candidates. Nothing is definite. He
hopes that a name will be sent to the
Hill in the early part of -the %th
Congress.
WHITE HOUSE MESSAGE TO
INDIANS GETS POLITE RESPONSE
When Presidential aide Anne Wpxter
spoke at the NCAI Executives-Council
meeting in Washington.JJCC., Jan.
16-18, the reaction oP'mdian parti
cipants was not^erfthusiastic. Wexler
said that President Carter "is sensitive
and knowledgeable about Indian con
^perrfs/' that he supports the policy of
Indian self determination and is com
mitted "to honor this country's legal
nhd wwd reaphmifilMNea as AmmAn?
Indians." She also said that the
Presidents anti-inflation budget, to be
presented to Congress Jan. 22, was
indeed going to be a tight one. Wexler
said she could not reveal details of the
Indian portion of the budget prior to the
President's budget statement, but she
noted that inflation is most hurtful to
the poor -- which would include the
Indians. "By limiting Federal spend
ing." she said, "we will help to reduce
the inflation rate." NCAI President
Veronica Murdock told Wexler that
Indian leaders wanted to talk with
President Carter "across the table" on
water policy and other issues.
PRESCHOOL CLINIC PLANNED FOR
UNION CHAPEL SCHOOL
A preschool clinic is planned at Union
Chapel School. Thursday, February 1,
1979 from 8:30 a.m. until 12 noon.
Parents of children ? who will enter
kindergarten or the first grade for the
first time are asked to attend and bring
their child's birth certificate and
mmunization records. It is not necessary
for the child to attend. Students in
kindergarten and first grade will be
attending school on this day. The prin
cipal is John E. Cummings.
PLATE SALE PLANNED
Union Civic Club will sponsor a
barbeque plate sale on Saturday,
January 27,1979 at the Pembroke Town
Park. TTie sale will begin at 10 a.m. and
last until S p.m. Plates will be SI.00
each. Sandwiches will also be on sale for
the price of SI .00. Proceeds will go to
community improvement projects.
NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS
Four County Community Services, Inc.
has scheduled a series of forums for
discussion of public issues inMie areas
served by the Red Springs Community
Center.
These meetings will give citizens an
opportunity to be involved in defining area
problems and in helping plan
project activities for programs conducted
by Four County Community Services, lac.
These meetings ate scheduled as follows:
10:43 a.m. at St James AME Jan. 31
Zion Church and on Feb. i| at 11 a.m at the
Red Springs Community Center.
It is anticipated that the advisory board
will meet on Feb. 22 at I p.m. in the Had
Springs Community Canter end at that time
they will review the probianu and liet
pMdMti
I more I tfiirinsi ioti tlln^ien tieltlt
Madia Rae I nrklear at 143-3092.
dPtBdMMMRi
PROSPECT WEN HOUSE ft PTA
Prospect School will have a combi
nation PTA and Open House on
Monday evening, January 29 from 7
p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Parents and
? teachers will assemble in the cafeteria
for a short business session. Teachers
will then go to their respective class
rooms for parent- teacher conferencas
ATTENTION PSHS CLASS OP 59
A class reunion is being planned fey
the 1959 class of Pembroke High
School. The occasion will mark the 2Mb
anniversary of their graduation. - y
m
Organizers of the reunion are'
attempting to locate class members. .
If you are a member of the daas of
'59. please call Mary Catherine Hunt gt
521-2242, Merdis Graham Oxending at
521-2244 or write Brace Barton. The
Carolina Indian Voice. P.O. Boa 1071,
Pembroke, NC 2SJ72. ? Jl
ha Adff?flfe'r iOsr,(9?r -*??- irti
LUMBERTON MAM ENTERS
GUILTY PLEA
John Fuller Scaly, operator of a
Lumberton service station, pleaded
guilty in Robeson Superior Court
Monday to seven counts of false
pretense.
The charges were in connection with
an investigation of fraud involving
payments made by fee Lumberton
Housing Authority.
U_ .... ?k. I..a U. a. U.
nc wu uic imi wi ?u pcimiis w uc
tried in connection with the investiga
tion. With Sealy's plea, all six have
either pleaded guilty or were found
guilty of various charges. Among them
was Gerald B. Hill, former executive
director of the authority.
The judge had scheduled sentencing
for all six defendants Friday. District
Attorney Joe Freeman Britt had asked
that sentencing be delayed until all
were tried.
Sealy had been charged in connection
with billings he submitted to the
housing authority for repair work and
parts on housing authority vehicles
during an 8 month period.
gm icyawmikii
Girl SawTcortirMirIfo'begks^B
Robeson County January 2k. Girl Scouts
win be takfag orders throe# Mb. 12.
The cookie sale Is a major somes of
income to keep Okf Scouflng oa the
(norland growing. Proceeds are used
for ongoing program and serrtoeo. for
nuMs'sld di ibpmset of QM Seoul
sochbou sold laholpflnaac*ttmlrmm
progrssso and commeeity prajssta.
Through thaosoklssols, girt. me
aSrtSSSsr
73*4241. ?,
Ijfif ' gfc *.