c. 1997 Religion News Service

DENVER _ The Rev. Henry J. Lyons held onto the presidency of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Wednesday (Sept. 3), surviving a no-confidence vote prompted by dissidents seeking to oust him.

During the morning session of the denomination’s annual meeting, more than 100 critics of Lyons rushed the stage, punching the air with their fists and chanting”let the people speak.” Lyons’ supporters attempted to drown out the dissidents by singing a hymn. The critics responded by continuing their chant to the rhythm of the music.

Lyons, 55 and a pastor in St. Petersburg, Fla., has been embroiled in controversy since his third wife, Deborah, was charged with setting fire July 6 to a luxury home Lyons bought with Bernice Edwards, then a church official. Since then, there have been numerous reports questioning Lyons’ marital fidelity and his use of church funds. The Baptist leader has denied having an affair with Edwards and has denied spending church money on personal purchases.

Lyons, who asked for his church’s forgiveness Tuesday, attempted Wednesday to deal with the ongoing conflicts between factions at the national meeting.”I realize there’s a breach among us brethren and sisters,”he said.”We must hear from those people now.” After Lyons announced that seven dissidents and seven of his supporters would be allowed to speak, about 50 journalists covering the event were escorted from the convention hall.

While the reporters were out of the room, the Rev. Calvin Butts III, senior minister of Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York, offered a motion that Lyons should be ousted. The motion failed overwhelmingly.

Reporters were allowed back into the hall in time to see Lyons thank the crowd for their support. He also thanked his family, including his wife, who stood by her husband in tears.

One Lyons’ critic, the Rev. Jasper Williams of Atlanta, acknowledged the vote in Lyons’ favor and then pleaded that money be given to pay for the mortgage on the denomination’s headquarters in Nashville, Tenn.”With all the controversy, I know that you know some of the money is not where it needs to be,”said Williams, whose remarks were immediately followed by an offering.

Another critic, the Rev. William Shaw of Philadelphia, summed up the turmoil that had occurred on the convention floor.”The decision is fine. I don’t agree with it,”said Shaw.”We won’t withdraw our support. The convention has to allow valid disagreement that is openly expressed with no retaliation. Only when fair and open discussion is allowed can we be solid and in a united movement.” The Rev. W. Franklyn Richardson of Mount Vernon, N.Y., who also had criticized Lyons, said he believed Lyons’ pleas for forgiveness prompted the no-confidence vote to fail.

Although the dissidents said they planned no further action at the meeting, some say they are awaiting the conclusions of federal investigations into possible financial wrongdoing by Lyons before they take further action.

But supporters of the Baptist leader seem unconcerned about possible future charges.

Carl Stewart, a layman from Peoria, Ill., emphasized that Lyons”turned around and apologized.” Asked about allegations that Lyons purchased a home with Edwards using church funds, Stewart added,”I don’t know what money it was. It wasn’t church money. The press sees things that really aren’t there. We have to be able to forgive and understand. We don’t cut people’s heads off.” On Tuesday, Lyons received more than one vote of confidence from leaders of the 8.5 million-member denomination, who believed he should be absolved of allegations that he misused church money for personal purchases of the luxury home, jewelry and expensive cars.

Many applauded Lyons when he said,”Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me. I need to know I’m forgiven.” But some critics were angered that one vote of confidence came at a time when many delegates had left the meeting because they had not expected further business. Among Lyons’ critics were several former presidential candidates, including Shaw, Richardson and Williams _ who opposed the Baptist leader in the denomination’s 1994 presidential election.

An 18-member investigative committee hand-picked by Lyons determined that Lyons had not broken any church laws, in part because the denomination has no by-laws governing the president’s use of church money.

MJP END CULVER