A small church in northeast Georgia is defending its decision to revoke the membership of a 103-year-old woman who disagreed with the pastor.
The Athens Banner-Herald reported Friday that Union Grove Baptist Church of Elberton said Genora H. Biggs was displaying conduct detrimental to the congregation.
The woman has been a church member for 92 years but disagreed with its pastor, Timothy Mattox, about worship practices that include laying hands on members.
Biggs, a retired teacher, said such activities aren’t Baptist but were introduced at the church by Mattox, one of her former students.
“He is a holy sanctified minister or so he says. We voted him in and we didn’t know it until he was there. We are Baptists and that’s what we want to stay,” Biggs said.
A statement from the Union Grove church said fellow members decided to remove Biggs.
“It was determined by the congregation during a church conference meeting, which Mrs. Biggs was present at the time of the meeting, that the behavior of Mrs. Biggs and others was detrimental to the church at large and could no longer be allowed,” according to the statement.
Church members voted in August to revoke Biggs’ membership, although she has continued attending services.
Biggs was previously a church officer, and her father was one of its founders. She received a letter about her expulsion.
“I was unhappy and shocked,” said Biggs. “I joined the church when I was 11 years old.”
Also banned from the church was Biggs’ grandson, Eliott Dye, a member for 30 years, and Kevin Hamm, an ordained minister who was also a member of the church.
“I tried to talk with (Mattox) and he was just determined to say, ‘You can’t come over here, period,'” Hamm said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story
How Christianly! Being excluded from your source of support, friendship and worship that you have been a part of for almost your entire life is, in my opinion, reprehensible, and quite likely to be a factor in this woman’s future declining health and possibly death. Did it not ever occur to any of these people that a person of 103 years old is likely to have brain changes that can cause them to behave in unusual ways, or become unusually argumentative? Expelling a 103 year old woman from church? One of the reasons I lost faith in religion years and years ago. I hope this woman has family, neighbors and genuine friends to support her now that she has been expelled from her lifelong source of companionship, and support. Shame on those people! How petty. Act like adults and work it out! SMH!!!
Religion is the practice of… In order to keep our Faith we need a ‘ relationship with God’
It took me a while to realize this..( my Faith was badley shaken too Hun). The beginning of Faith is Hope- I’m sure u still have that. God Bless You!
yea! but if the congregation suffers cause of on or two then you haft to take care of the many…besides they said that her grandson and a couple more’s membership was taken …besides it say’s in the bible that were two or more shall gather in my name I will be there …ok thy can get to gather and if they call on GOD he will be there so they can have there own church services and not be disrupting to the rest
So Satan and his ministers take over a congregation, and you are not supposed to say anything?
I would find another congregation that holds to the teachings of Jesus Christ and the teachings of Paul in the Bible
as to whom can serve in the various offices within the Church and what their duties will be. NO minister can
kick out a member for merely a disagreement,. If what she states is true, than Satan has won that congregation
and i surely would be looking somewhere else where God’s truth is being taught.
It sounds like the preacher is the one who needs to be kicked out. I can’t believe the members of the church would have gone along with something such as this.
I guess you haven’t heard of Jesus having an army to fight the Antichrist Gov. are you going to be in Jesus’s army? The antichrist gov. is our US gov. run by the greedy company’s that are destroying our world
I ask people What caused this economic depression? no one can tell me, well do you know? high gas prices did, when the price of gas goes up so does the price of everything else, and the only thing that will bring us out of this depression is free energy , so force the auto company’s to make only water to hydrogen cars and trucks and conversion kits to change the pieces of junk fuel injected, and diesel trucks to run on hydrogen with switches to shut off the fuel injectors, and the fuel pump, don’t do this now and the economy will collapse soon, when our bought and payed capitalist Gov. goes bankrupt Tell every one not to buy a new car, and tell them to tell others, tell them they must do both. Don’t buy a new car, or truck.,There’s a 200 mile per gallon carburetor sitting in the patient office collecting dust bought up by the oil company’s, Volkswagen has a 264 miles per gallon diesel but it’s not coming here, tell everyone not to buy any new car or truck, and tell those you tell to tell others, continuing to tell everyone and we will boycott the making of these pieces of junk low mileage cars and trucks, and force the auto company’s to make kits to run cars on Hydrogen from water electrolyzer producing all the hydrogen with the alternator on your car / truck this is possible with two switches to shut off the fuel pump, and fuel injectors to change these pieces of junk cars, and trucks to hydrogen. boycott the auto company’s tell everyone, and tell them to continue telling people don’t buy a new car, or truck.
Cancer society’s are not doing any research, because they found cures for cancer way back in the 1930’s, and you won’t be giving them any money if they come out with a cure, they are the biggest mass murders, and you are paying them to kill you with chemo, and surgery, they can’t make any money curing you, catch 22, the best cure for cancer is in a book Encyclopedia of healing Juices, by John Heinerman, page 141 under Grape/ raisin juice, a man diagnosed with cancer didn’t do the murdering chemo, he buckled down and eat his fruits and vegetables, and killed all of his cancer, red fruits and vegetables, have a substance called lycopene that will kill cancer, and keep you from getting cancer, pore nutrient is what causes cancer, and a host of other illnesses so eat your fruits and vegetables, with your meat. a good balanced diet.
#1 cause of Alzheimer’s is aluminum poisoning, take all cookware to recycling, and don’t buy anything in aluminum cans, spread the word to every one, when we stop buying they will have to make iron cans, and cookware, so spread the word and tell those you tell to spread the word also. #2 cause is iodine deficiency, that cause’s bipolar, schizophrenia, depression, suicides, eat fish, and yogurt 2 to 3 times a week spacing them out every 2 to 3 days, because iodine will be depleted out of your body in 2 to 3 days
The flu shots have been tested out to have 25 mg of mercury per shot, they tested to have formaldehyde, ethylene glycol ( anti freeze ) and aluminum the #1cause of Alzheimer’s, ADD and ADHD, . to give you a strong immune system from the flu, colds, and a host of other germs, and bacteria, you want to get Garlic, powder, and or minced and season with a little almost every day, all nutrients will be depleted out of your body in two to three days so you need a little almost every day, a garlic container should last a person 5 to 6 months.
Diabetes is one of the biggest medical scams, it can be cured with a little cinnamon almost every day, like iodine it will be depleted in 2 to 3 days, so a little almost every other day will keep your blood sugar level normal .
100% correct in everything in this article. I take no meds. Perfect health. Herbs vitamins. Extreme health diet.
It is most grievous that a long time standing member and her son are not allowed to remain in the church which her family members were the founders of it. !!! They should seek higher counsel for guidance in the right course of action to take. As in the whole congregation to pray, seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit and read His Word and follow His guidelines !!!
There must be more to the story than is told here. As an ordained Christian minister, if things are as told here, I find the actions of this minister to be in violation of the Holy teachings of Jesus Christ. It appears as though this pastor is one of the many on a power trip. Some pastors require people to sign an agreement saying they agree with everything the pastor says, before allowing them to become a church member. Everything they teach and say must past muster. That being that it is from the Word of Yahwea, as written in the Holy Bible. Any other test is invalid. This minister needs to be vetted for his adherence to The Word.
I think it’s pretty bad when you kick out a lady that is 103 yrs. old & her father was the one of the founders. That is showing no respect what so ever. Even in this church, freedom of speech is a no no!!!! What next? Will prayer also be banned in the church?
Seems to me the whole story is not here. Sometimes long standing members get stuck in a rut and when a fresh wave of the Holy Spirit comes blowing into a congregation, some members don’t know how to handle it. They’ve never done it that way before, therefore it can’t.be done. Just a thought. Could it have been handled differently? Maybe. Unless the whole story is put out there, should we judge?
These people should be Rejoicing that they got kicked out of the den of vipers…
Rev 2:6 “But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Be thankful now that you have done away with the need to even listen to them silly Nicolaitians – now with them out of your way – why not Repent, get properly baptized and convert to the Body/Temple of Yahshua Messiah? After all – today is the Day of Atonement… a set apart day for the day of rest… a Complete Fast…
Peace~
Denominations each have differences I call do’s or don’ts that define them somewhat even though they all acknowledge Jesus as Lord. If this woman was disruptive in the service and gave indication of continuing to be then she must be excluded. The counseling should be private with only pastor and church leaders there, decently and in order, and the Word of God must be consulted and examined for decision making of what to do next.
We are not to judge. That’s a thing we are not to do. But we do it anyway. I know that GOD will take care of this problem!!! In the meantime a lot of praying should be happening. I do think we don’t know all and if we know all the story then there really needs to be a lot of praying done. Either way I think we should all pray for these people. May Our Heavenly Father watch over this and us!!!