! PUBLISHED E^CH THURSDAY '
ra THE CAROLINA INDIAN VOICE?
Dedicated To The Beet In All Of Us
I mm y
VOLUME 7 NUMBER 5 PEMBROKE, N.C. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY I, 1979 ' 15* PER COPY
DISMISSED CHURCH OF GOD
MINISTERS SEEK REDRESS AT
NATIONAL LEVEL
Lamberton- Some 350-500 supporters
showed up Sunday afternoon at-the
Lumberton Armory in Lumberton to
hear publicly what happened in regard
to the recent dismissals of Rev. Jack
Hunt, Rev. C.C. Allen, Jr. and the Rev.
Stelford Smith.
A part of the meeting was taken up
with a public accounting of what
happened the previous Sunday when
District Overseer, R.P. Fields, and a
coterie, arrived at Pembroke Church of
God and Riverside Church of God in
Lumberton (during morning services)
and at Eastside Church of God -in
Fayetteville (during the evening ser
vice) and read a letter of dismissal to the
three pastors openly before the respec
tive congregations.
The letter Fields read was from State
Overseer Harold B. Thompson. The
letter said in part, "It is sad, indeed;
when a man will sink so low as to
deliberately undermine and advocate
insubordinate actions against the chur
ch that has supported him and given
hint a place to minister..."
fa * telephone interview Thompson
claimed tfaer the three pestors-^iunt.
Smith and Allen, Jr.- "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 and
something had to be done about it."
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN...
But according to Rev. C.C. Allen,
Jr., pastor of Eastside Church of God in
Fayetteville; Rev. Jack Hunt, pastor of
Pembroke Church of God; and Rev.
Stelford Smith, pastor of Riverside
Church of God in Lumberton, there is
another side to the coin, another point
of view.
Said Rev. Allen, "If Moses was
justified in leading the people out of
Egyptian bondage, then we are justified
...God does not want his people
bound."
Allen also noted that State Overseer
Thompson was less than poetic in
I
replying to his rationale for resisting his
dismissal. Allen said, "When I tried to
quote him scripture and tninutes of the
Church of God to support my stance he
(Thompson) said, 'Bologna!' and hung
up on me! I was shocked, to say the very
least."
WHAT WAS SAID AT SUNDAY
EVENING'S MEETING
All three ministers addressed the
audience Sunday evening and recoun
ted some of the frustrations that
culminated in their ultimate dismissal
as ministers of the Church of God, with
national offices in Cleveland, Tenn.
An emerging pattern of broken
promises, condescension, and a seem
ing lack of respect developed from the
presentations. Smith noted, "I have
been trying to get something done for
soir" two years."
An example noted by Rev. Hunt was
an incident involving an ethnic advisory
council set up by the district and state
offices of the Church of God. The
advisory council was supposed to have
input in any decision made eUactmn the
Pembroke District.
According to the ministers, the
church leadership showed bad faith by
appointing members to the advisory
council without advise and consent by
the local Indian pastors.
More than this, without advising the
ministers in the district, the church
leadership split the Pembroke District
(made up of eleven churches) into two
districts, the Saddletree District and the
Hestertown District. Both pastors are
non-Indian.
Two, the Indian ministers questioned
whether the church's leaders would
allow Indian ministers to pastor a
predominately white church although
they assigned white pastors to Indian
congregations without much thought
about racial implications.
Said Rev. Hunt, "The thing that
bothers me most of all is that a man is
innocent-or he is supposed to be- until
proven guilty. Yet, they came to our
church that Sunday and read the
charges and declared me guilty as
charged. He (Fields) put my name down
in the dirt without giving me a chance to
defend myself."
A petition was circulated at Sunday's
meeting that declared:
"We the undersigned, respectfully
petition and beseech all those who know
and love Almighty God to hear and
redress the grievances described below
which are destroying the Church of
God in NC.
"1. The Indian people of this State
are not accorded their rightful voice in
the affairs of the Church;
"2. Due consideration should be
given to the appointment of an Indian
overseer in predominately Indian dis
tricts;
*
"3. Due consideration should be
given to the appointment of duly
ordained Indian ministers to the pastor
al pMts of predominately Indian
churches;
"4. Appointments to the Ethnic
Advisory Council should be of duly
ordained ministers;
"5. Due consideration should be
given to the appointment of Indian
ministers to the pastoral posts of
predominately White churches; and.
"6. The Church, above all institutions
should be mindful of the due process
rights of individuals to the extent that
one is presumed innocent until guilt is
established.
"Each of the persons whose signa
ture appears below specifically and
publically declares his or her support of
the collective efforts of the Rev. Jack
Hunt, the R?v. C.C. Allen, Jr. and the
Rev. Stelfotrf Smith to redress the
grievances or concerns above. We
respectfully request that they be
restored to their rightful places in the
Church of God."
At last count gome five hundred
people had signed, Ifie petition.
Although barrod from the churches,
each of the respective pastprs attended
their churches last Sunday although
Pembroke and Eaatside cancelled Sun
day night services because of the
involvement with the public meeting at
the Armory. But each of the ministers
reiterated, "I (Hunt, Allen and Smith)
will be at church in the pulpit until a
court order makes us do otherwise."
The Carolina Indian Voice has found
out that a court order might not be long
incoming. A lawyer in Wilmington, Jay
D. Hackenbury, according to our
source, has writteh each of the pastors a
letter in effeci, saying, "I have been
retained by the state office of the
Church of God and this letter is to
inform you that you are forbidden to put
foot on the property of the Pembroke
Church of God, the Eastside Church of
God and the Riverside Church of God."
The letter went on to say that the
pastors should realize that the property
of the local church does not belong to
tha local congregate bid does in fact
belong to the Church ot God.'
Rev. C.C. Allen, Jr. notes, "I am
already assured by the word of God that
it will be resolved and the Church of
God will be strengthen from this and
will do mightier works in the future."
But, sadly, Allen noted, "I hoped it
would never come to this: church men
ought to be able to resolve their
differences without having to go to
court. That seems like something Sears
and Roebuck might do, not the Church
of God."
R.P. Fields, in a telephone con
versation said, "I am sorry that it came
to this. 1 helped organize three churches
in that area-those are good people
down there. 1 was the one that
organized the Pembroke Church of God,
for instance."
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
?
Pembroke Jaycees Awards Banquet
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Outstanding Young Parmar; and
OdvM Ltatilaar. Outstanding Young
IdUCAtO^i
Qoratd Maynor. laat yoar'a Boaa of
tha Yoor; CarnoN Lookloor, loot
vaor'a raafpfanf of ttw MA Award;
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You?f Mutator" tor MM^mMbS
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Board of
Directors of
Historical
Drama meet
The Board of Directors of Robeson
Historical Drama, Inc. held its first
meeting of the 1979 season for "Strike
at the Wind!" the outdoor drama
sponsored by the organization.
The well-attended meeting provided
the first presentation of the new general
manager. Bill Thompson, to the
board. Mr. Thompson was given a
special vote of support from the board in
his efforts to promote the drama.
Mr. Larry Brooks and Mr. Julian
Pierce were elected to the board at the
meeting.
Mrs. Mary L. Sanderson was official
ly announced as the new assistant
manager beginning February 5th.
In his report to the board. Mr.
Thompson announced plans for a "kick
off' banquet for the 1979 membership
campaign. According to the new
manager. "Every effort will be made
line ycitTiv persuade n.?iiy pc.tpi. *s
possible in North and South Carolina
and particularly Robeson County to
become a part of the organization."
Other projects outlined included step
up promotion of tour groups and #
increased publicity efforts through
radio, television, newspapers, and
magazines.
Chairman Adolph Dial said, "This
year holds great potential for 'Strike at
the Wind!' I believe that we have the
finest staff ever and with the help of the
people of Robeson County, this drama
can become a tremendous asset to the
tourist economy of the area."
Miss
Pembroke
Jr. High
? *
Shown above It Miaa Charmotna
Locfcloor, the reigning MIm Pembroke
Junior High School. She will roUnqeigh
her Ittlo on PHdey night. Feb. 2,1979 In
the PSU Performing Arte Center. She It
the do lighter of Mr. end Mr*. Mermen
L nek leer of Pembroke. For more
Informetton en the Miaa Pembroke
J enter High Pageant. aeejMg* ? of Mo
QkljEmg^g
?j
mM I
PEMBROKE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
OPEN HOUSE PLANNED
The Pembroke Senior High School
staff will hold Open House February 5,
1979, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. for parents of
all students attending Pembroke Senior
High School. The purpose of the open
house is to give parents a brief
orientation of the school, test programs,
and financial aid available to students.
Parents will also be given an opportu
nity to visit classrooms and talk with
their child's teachers.
Wc cordially invite all- parents to
attend Open House. This is an oppor
tunity for you to support your children
and their school.
PLATE SALE PLANNED
A plate sale is planned at the Deep Branch
Volunteer Fire Department. The sale will
be held on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 10 a.m. until
7 p.m. Fish, chicken and barbeque plates
will be sold for $2 50 each. Proceeds will
be used for the benefit of the fire
department, according to Chief Billy
Burns.
wauomiatiqn TO MI HBU>
* 4 - V * ? '
The Board of Trustees of Bacone College,
the Admininistration, the Faculty, and the
Student Boby request the honor of your
presence and your guests at the
inauguration of Dr. Pasqual Dean Chavers
s the 14th President of Bacone College on
Sunday. March 11, at 3 pm The event will
be held at the Muskogee Fine Arts
Auditorium, adjacent to Bacone College in
Muskogee. Oklahoma.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
MEETING SCHEDULED
An aviation and public transportation
public meeting for transportation
improvement will be held Feb. 21. at 7:30
p.m. for Division Six at the O.P. Owens
Auditorium in Luinberton. Division Six is
composed of Bladen. Columbus.
Cumberland. Harnett and Robeson
Counties.
^ ? ?
28 public hearings across the state will be
held to solicit input from individual
citizens, local officials, and county leaders
in the annual update of the Transportation
Improvement Program (TIP). The TIP is
the basic planning document for the North
Carolina Department of Transportation
(NCDOT) that balances anticipated
revenues against estimate^ project
expenditures.
Rally
Planned on
Highway
Patrol
Actions
A gathering of concerned citizens
about highway patrol action will take
place Saturday. February J, at 7 p.m. in
the gymnaahim of Pembroke Junior
High School in Pembroke.
The group hna 2 major concerns; (I)
victum of alleged brutality by the
highway patrol, and (2) nan violent
methods of redreesing the abate of
minorities and poor people by low
enforcement ? nencie?.
A. Bruce Jones, attentive director of
the N.C. Commissi an of Indian AflUn.
said. "I plan to attend thia mooting."
In dm mm of T^y . ^o. ^ N.C.
II rlimrt Mtfdftm Idffilim ^ f ?J
Control aMNblkli^ mMaafn
m t a
{ ONTINllU) ON PAGE 2
Linda
Locklear,
Miss
Capitol
City
MIm CfWol Cky
Linda Gail Locklear, a former Mist
Lumbee, became Miss Capitol City on
Saturday night. The pageant was held
at the Pittman Auditorium of St. Maty's
College in Raleigh. Miss Locklear
performed a dance routine to Herb
Albert and the Tijuana Brass Band as
her talent competition.
The Raleigh Jaycees usually sponsor
a Miss Raleigh Pageant, this year
however that organization will sponsor
the Miss North Carolina Pageant. To
insure representation of the Capital City
in the Miss North Carolina Pageant, the
Capitol City Jaycees this year sponsored
the Miss Capitol City Pageant. Miss
Locklear. therefore. U the first Miss
Capitol City and will compete in the
Miss North Carolina Pageant.
Miss Locklear. the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Andrew Chavis of Route 3,
Mart on, will make her first appearance
as Miss Capitol City at the Miss
Durham Pageant on Friday night. Feb.
2. She serves as coordinator of public
information services for the North
Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs
in Raleigh.
Miss Locklear expressed her enthu
simi at winning the title of Miss
Capitol City. Said she. "I am honored to
be Miss Capitol City. All my ,
accomplishments can be directly
related back to my reign as Misa
Lumbee. The support I received from ?
my own people gave me confidence and
a desire to achieve more and more. .
"Of course. I could not begin to pot
into worda What Mrs. Florence Ransom."
official chapefone for Miss Lumbee, has
meant to my I fie. She has encouraged
me and always insisted that I do the
very beet that I codM. Although I am no
longer Mies Lumbee. I still fasf^a
drove afl the tray to Raleigh by hseseE
on Saturday to see me scmpeti for fits
Mi?* Locklear also spoke fondly ?f
atfon In Pembroke where -he was ones -
employed
teAAtffltl li Btldiliflfi trt tkn
?Hodi Of