D.C. Church's Meeting Held Invalid, Negating Vote To Oust Pastor

A District of Columbia Superior Court judge last week ruled that a contested meeting of members of the Shiloh Baptist Church was invalidly called because the notice required by the Church's Constitution was not given. Yesterday's Washington Post reports that at the meeting, held in August in the Church's parking lot, 138 Church members voted to fire the Church's pastor, Rev. Wallace Charles Smith. While Smith won this round, more litigation is pending against Rev. Smith and his supporters. A suit charging breach of contract, fraud and breach of fiduciary duty has been filed in the battle between Church factions. Smith's detractors say he has taken an outside job and has wasted millions of dollars by failing to make needed repairs to the Church's building. Numerous lawyers, as well as public relations firms, are now part of this high profile dispute.