Arrowhead credit union's mistake leads to church leader's arrest
Interesting story breaking Friday.
T. Elliott, pastor of the prominent Mount Zion Baptist Church, was arrested in front of dozens of stunned onlookers in a local Stater Bros. last December.
Why? Because Arrowhead Credit Union got its records mixed up, accused Elliott of check forgery and had him arrested by San Bernardino Police.
Both sides agree on the above facts, but little else.
Now, Elliott is suing the local bank, its CEO and President Larry Sharp, and other employees for defamation and other charges.
Elliott, a respected pastor, was cuffed, transported, and housed in the city clink with the general population - AKA accused criminals.
click below for a preview of tomorrow's story ...
SAN BERNARDINO – A prominent local church pastor has filed a lawsuit against Arrowhead Credit Union, alleging that botched bank records led associates to accuse him of check fraud and resulted in his wrongful arrest at a crowded neighborhood grocery store.
Terrance Elliott, known locally as Pastor T. Elliot of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, was arrested Dec. 20 in a Stater Bros. market on 40th Street after allegedly trying to draw money against his account at an in-store bank branch, according to a complaint filed by his attorney.
The ordeal lasted roughly five hours, including a prolonged discussion with police and bank associates who mistakenly thought Elliott had deposited a stolen check into his account. Elliott was cuffed, led through the crowded store and housed with other inmates at the city jail.
In addition heading one of the city’s largest black churches, Elliott serves as chairman of the city’s Human Relations Commission, president of the local chapter of the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network and on the Sun’s Reader Advisory Board. He was instrumental in luring the Rev. Jesse Jackson to San Bernardino in March 2007 for a speech on local crime and urban decay.
But on Dec. 20, Elliott’s ATM card was rejected at the credit union’s in-store branch, alerting the bank’s Loss Prevention Department, which mistakenly concluded that Elliott had deposited a stolen $6,700 check into his account days before. Bank agents then contacted San Bernardino Police, according to the complaint, reporting that a “black male subject, approximately 44-years-old, was inside the bank trying to cash a stolen check for $6,700.”
In-store bank employees persuaded the pastor to stay in the store while police were en route, falsely claiming that they wanted to clear the confusion, until police arrived nearly two hours later.
In the suit, Elliott alleges that bank employees lied to police, reporting that he attempted to cash a $6,700 check, then lied to police on the scene about the nature of his past transactions.
Elliott was released without charge later that day after being detained, searched, processed and housed in a general population cell in the city’s jail before it became apparent to police that the stolen check in question was unrelated to him or his account, according to the suit.
His suit seeks monetary damages for false imprisonment, negligence, defamation and infliction of emotional distress.
One day later after the ordeal, Arrowhead Credit Union President and CEO Larry Sharp issued Elliott a letter of apology and a donation of $3,000 to Mt. Zion Baptist Church, one of the city’s prominent African American congregations.
“We want to assure you that we are both embarrassed and regretful for our grievous mistake and the pain that it has subsequently caused you over the past 24 hours,” Sharp’s letter reads.
Elliott accepted the donation, but wasn’t satisfied.
“I considered it hush money,” Elliott said, noting that the church has been a community mainstay since 1962, yet had never before received a donation from the credit union. “If they keep records so badly that I, a well-known community member, wind up wrongly taken to jail, how many other people have been subjected to this?”
Sharp did not respond to calls for comment.
The suit stresses allegations that the credit union is negligent in its record-keeping and treats minorities in lower income neighborhoods differently.
“Arrowhead has habitually profiled minorities and over-reached and has been particularly and routinely negligent with their facts, especially when it relates to minorities to have them arrested under false pretenses.” the suit reads.
Elliott said his ordeal and the bank’s allegedly poor relations with minority communities will bring Rev. Sharpton to San Bernardino in May.
Attorneys for the credit union and its employees, Ontario-based law firm Anderson, McPharlin & Conners, have filed a motion to strike the suit on grounds of insufficient factual evidence and the basis that much of the suit focuses on communications between credit union employees and law enforcement, which the firm says is communication protected against civil claims.
The original court date was set for May 2. The credit union’s counter motion will be heard May 1.
Los Angeles-based attorney Greta Curtis’ complaint names the credit union and six individuals, including Sharp, Redlands City Councilman and credit union employee Pete Aguilar and six other lower-level employees.
Aguilar would not comment, citing ongoing litigation. Police spokesman Scott Paterson also declined comment, citing ongoing litigation.
Elliott said he’s not suing the Police Department because he doubts they could have responded differently given the credit union employees’ allegations. As a member of the city’s Human Relations Commission, Elliott recommended commendation for four officers for their roles in getting to the bottom of the financial mess.
But he did say he objected to the way he was treated by officers on the scene, who cuffed the pastor and led him through the store and into a patrol vehicle.
“They paraded me through that store,” Elliott said. “People were gathering, like ‘what are you doing with the pastor.’”
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Another Sharpton supporter tries badly to play the race card. When something happens to a White person, it's bad luck. When something happens to a minority, it's because of their race? Get real, and get over yourself.
Pastor Eliott is a well respected leader in the community.He has helped to bring "Feed the Children" and an Annual Christmas Toy Drive to our community to help disadvantaged families.I am really upset to read that a large banking institution which should have sophisticated technology could make such a grievious mistake such as this. Why couldn't this bank discover their own mistake, instead of assuming the guilt of an innocent black man? Instead of stalling for the police to arrive, the clerks could have listened to Pastor Elliott and tried to figure out the error. After all, didn't the SB Police Dept. discover the error? No one should have to be innocently subjected to this type of treatment!
To quote from the article, "...Elliott accepted the donation, but wasn’t satisfied.
“I considered it hush money,” Elliott said..."
Since when does an honest person accept "hush money", in any guise?
The check could have been held, uncashed, and submitted to the attorneys filing the suit a couple of months later.
As for this being the ACU's first "donation" to MZ:
Aren't pastors to encourage us all to learn the errors of our ways and welcome us to "the right path"? Who would join a congregation where the pastor responds to our first attempt (And a big one at that; I doubt most chip in $3,000.00 into their first pass of a new collection plate!), with a petulant accusatory, "You never did this before", rather than, "Thank you"?
Christians believe every new dawn is a fresh opportunity to put the past behind us and do better. Heck! Every drawn breath is a new opportunity to proclaim Him and strive toward doing better! What example has been presented to the readers by this proclamation that it's not good enough because it is a recent act? Aren't we all consoled by knowing we can do better today than we may have done in the past?
I hope those seeking to make every today better than every yesterday aren't dissuaded by the thought that pastors are waiting to berate their attempts toward positive change with complaints about their past. In my experience, pastors are warm, caring, accepting and lead by example; rare is the pastor who would brand a check "hush money", cash it, complain is wasn't "enough" and that the donor had only recently "turned over a new leaf". New friends to congregations are often people seeking to "do better" with their lives. They are welcomed, not sued and berated after their apology for past transgressions is accepted and accompanying "penance" check clears.
It's about to go down....lol... The bank employee that caused this mess should be fired, the President of the bank should be held fully responsible for all actions and consequences brought for by his employees while representing the bank itself... it's only right.
Mike Smith... you need to get over yourself... if that happened to you you would have sued as well... but seeming that you are... of another ethnicity... you dont see it that way because it didnt have any effect on you or your family. How would you feel if that happen to your father? you'd be pissed just like any other PERSON regardless of race, ethnicity or nationality... My Father isnt playing a race card and him being an Al Sharpton friend and supporter has nothing to do with it...
If I was to think like you I would say...
You are just another white person that want to take any and everyhting positive that a successful minority has done and turn a play on words to benefit your ignorant "intellect". This is simply a case of a major bank in southern California making one of the biggest mistakes in their history and it just so happens to be against my Father, a "minority"... simple as that. I wouldn't expect them to pay for their mistakes any different regardles of race or gender... open your eyes man..
It would be even more interesting to have the state's credit union watchdog agency and the Fair Political Practices Commission investigate the ongoing inappropriate activities involving their PAC money and how it is supposed to be used just for credit union political action activities. Not for candidate support or opposition. There is way more than meets the eye here and I hope Pastor Elliot has the fortitude to continue the march.
what A Mess! The entire southwest region of African American churches stand in strong support of Pastor Elliott and this terible trauma. We will be sending out correspondance to all of our 2463 churches throught California to announce this and suggest our members look together in a untied fashion at another bank that cares about our buisiness and our leaders!
I am sadden by the treatment of this prominent Pastor who is known locally and in many state. Comments from the article state the Pastor should be happy with the funds, and a letter as he has no rights as "average citizen" Arrowhead employees can violated you and the company has no liability... Ask the folks in the small town of Jena, LA. Shut the branch DOWN! If this Pastor is not compensated, I think Al Sharpton and others should be contacted. In the mean time...WITHDRAW EVERY PENNY. This speaks volume!!!
I dont think it was fair what they did to the pastor. i dont understand how the credit union could make such a huge mistake and jepordize anyones liberty or reputation. I think i need to go and close my account with arrowhead next week. Who in the heavens is keeping their books? i certainly will be letting my freinds and family know, this is not the place to bank. not only that but i think a boycott of Arrowhead credit union is in order.
this is a great opportunity to say "THANKS" to chief Bildt and the San Bernardino Police Department, who got to the bottom of this "financial mess" quickly! looks like the police officers stopped this incident from becoming a full blown crisis! props to the Pastor for recommending commendations for them and giving them their much due credit! Did Arrowhead say thanks too? probably not!
Susan, the article never said whther or not the check was cashed, but nonetheless thanks for the lesson on morality and ethics!
There's something terribly wrong when a pastor drives a Rolls Royce and uses Cartier pens to take notes at an HRC meeting while his congregation eats Kraft Mac N Cheese because he berates then every Sunday for not filling the collection plates!
Oh - and Susana? It was so nice around here w/o your big mouth!
Thanks for your comments pro and con; This is the beauty of a democracy "everybody has a right to their opinion and a right to be heard" I didnt know Susanna had such harsh feelings! wow! and for the Record, I have never even seen a Cartier pen... Didnt know they make them!
But we aren't denying the Rolls, are we???
I am a proud member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church! He is a kind and humble man. Pastor Elliott doesn't berate us about "filling up a collection plate". If you were a member of our church, you would know this. What does the type of car Pastor Elliott drives have to do with the issue we're discussing!!
Come on now, get it straight. Don't be a hater. Pastor Elliott had a Rolls when he came to Zion. If your mother left you a Rolls/Jaguar, etc., at her death, tell me you wouldn't drive it. As far as the offering plate is concerned, I have never heard Pastor Elliott berate anyone regarding the offering or anything else. If you can't tell the truth, please don't spread lies.
No "harsh feelings" here, Elliott.
This week, I've been mulling the potential for including the strip around the Del Rosa site to my latest grant.
I'll follow up on this with you off-Blog.
There's no need for us to walk in lock-step in order to walk together.
Warmly, Susana
So he had a Rolls when he came? Really was the church bankrupt then as well? I'm just asking because I'm thinking this case just might have a financial angle to it. Let me explain what I'm thinking here. Pastor Elliot or Dr. Elliot as he is sometimes called, is mistreated at Arrowhead Credit Union. After a well publicized arrest, Dr/Pastor Elliot files a law suite. Do I have all this straight up to this point? See I don't want anybody to think I am being unfair here. Its just that anytime your response to a local problem is to bring in Al Sharpton and the National Action Network I get suspicious. Anyway, the attorney who filed the suit on behalf of Dr/Pastor Elliot (Greta Sedeal Curtis) just so happens to be the same attorney who filed Chapter 11 on 5/24/07 for Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church 1895 Del Rosa Ave 92411. Doc # LA07-14357-RN. Charles William Daff 2009 N. Broadway Santa Ana, Ca 92706 a bankruptcy specialist was also involved. So I'm kind of thinking that the threat to call in Rev. Al was a smoke screen to make all this go away with a quick payout so the good Dr., can get back to his hustle. Ahhh, I mean preaching. I'm sure Ms. Curtis (3701 Wilshire Blvd # 1025 Los Angeles, Ca 90010) 213-351-9583 could shed more light on the situation but I'm only thinking out loud here.
Yep, Ty. I think you're seeing exactly what a lot of others are seeing as well! (just not saying out loud.)
Yep, Ty. I think you're seeing exactly what a lot of others are seeing as well! (just not saying out loud.)
The Church's Chapter 11 has nothing to do with Pastor Elliott's harrassment by Arrowhead as he is only an employee of the church and not the owner. Our Church is almost 50 years old, so we existed in SB long Before Pastor Elliott arrived on the scene. Nonetheless, The Church is not connected with the Arrowhead Matter at all other than shocked by what happened to our pastor. Since regular meetings have been held by the church officers, I have never heard of a Charles William Daff! The financial stress came as a result of trying to take a building that left a negative stain on SB and trying to create something positive out of it and we got screwed by the Lender! plain and simple thats so "TY",...THINK AGAIN!
Now plainly put, ask yourself, if it was you or your family member who was arrested, not bounced a couple of checks, or...mistakingly charged some fees, but ARRESTED! wouldnt you be pissed? after all this is not a PTA club ( who i miust admit keep better records) ITS A BANK! Unlike you, Arrowhead, Pastor Elliott and Mt Zion is on record, not throwing gas on the fire surreptitiously as "TY"!
Ty, may I add. It had nothing to do with the church then or the Arrowhead issue now.
what i'm most concerned about is not all of this collateral issues, i'm more concerned that a bank could screw up so bad, repeatedly in their bookeeping or their system is so antiquated that i could actually go to jail from their actions and then they could run and hide under some law that says they can say whatever they want about me to the police and i have no recourse but if i said something about Arrowhead, I could get sued...."now aint that a B**ch"!
LMAO.... to this "TY" character... sounds like you have a substantial amount of hate daddy... chill out. A rolls is cool, and you dont have one, but had you been the one involved in this lawsuit your hating ass would have tried to at least test drive one...lol.. ERASE THE HATE!!! just because he manages his money well and you try to just manage... it's iight yo... and for the record... the Rolls is so yesteryear... you sound like an old member...lol... stick to the subject at hand, 1 man against Arrowhead Credit Union....
Ty, the issue is Arrowhead CU's record keeping and their treatment of minorities.
Dr. Elliott's profession, the car he drives nor the airplane he could be flying around in, in the future, doesn't matter.
But I must say, you've aroused my curiosity, I'd like to know what's going on in your life that made you appoint yourself Pastor Elliott's moral agent? Why shouldn't he assert his inalienable rights as an American citizen.
Ty, I can't be too upset with you, because you are only doing what your father told you to do. I must remember what my Father told me to do in Ephesians 6:11-12. Yes, I went there!
Ty, TRY JESUS, whatever you desire as a "Boy Toy", I promise, He'll give it to you.
Pastor,
Susana is just miffed 'cause she got booted from the HRC......now all she can do is play with her trees. At least you all at the HRC can now do your business w/o her.
In order for a seed to be planted, there must be fertile soil. So, curious, I suggest you do your "saving" elsehwere, and also leave your "race card" ar home.
This exchange proves my original point perfectly. The actions of the pastor are polarizing the community. Think about this, you are trying to defend a man who has been wronged. I'll concur with you on this point, I don't think anybody has tried to deny that point although we may disagree to what extent. The problem is a very basic principle that his defenders have either not been taught or failed or chosen to ignore. Arrowhead Credit Union already apologized in a written statement. End of story. This brings me to another point somewhat out of order but indeed very much relevant.
"Curious" was most gracious in inviting me to TRY JESUS, while apparently promising me some sort of gift by stating "He'll give it to you." The quoting of Ephesians seems like a violation of the sanctity of the bible is it not? I could have pointed out that in the Lords prayer it instructs the follower to "Forgive us as we forgive those who trust pass against us." There is nothing there that says unless the offending party has millions of dollars at their disposal and you are the pastor of church in financial trouble. I didn't list Mark 6:7 where Jesus sends his disciples out into the world with a specific set of directives which included "take nothing for the journey...no bag, no bread and no copper "a reference to money." Though it doesn't say it there I feel fairly confident that luxury cars, helicopters, jet skis and boats would have surely been included on the list.
As someone said "I can't be to upset with you." Why not, well because you just may be confused in an honest way. Maybe you see nothing wrong with your beloved Dr/Pastor Elliot not only identifying but accepting what he himself considered "hush money." If it were that big an outrage why accept what he is saying was a $3,000 bribe attempt. Had he turned the donation/bribe/hush payment down then I think you and he would have had alot more credibility but he compounded the problem by threatening to bring in Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson. Shoot he was on a roll why not throw in Jim Brown and Louis Farrakhan to boot? As for being jealous because he drives a Rolls Royce, surely you jest. The rapper life holds no appeal to me so I try to invest wisely, spend conservatively and avoid the temptation of acquiring things which depreciate in value.
With all that has been said, tell me what I have said that is untrue? Tell me how the pastor can have such a command over finances that he can drive a luxury car yet be duped in a real estate transaction by an "unscrupulous lender?" if this indeed were the case, why didn't the Pastor and the finance committee at the church consult with someone before putting the parish money into a speculative deal? Explain to me why a member of the county human relations commission would choose to bring in outsiders to solve what is not even a local issue but glorified personal dispute? Why has this turned into the spectacle it has? Well because of the choice of one man to turn his mis-adventure or mis-fortune into a community crusade which in the tradition of the NAN identifies racial problems where no one else sees them. There are most certainly racial issues to overcome but this isn't one of them.
We all have our suspicions. You can't deny the fact that this case stinks to high heaven of political chicanery and that is what I find most offensive. Obviously this case could have been settled out of the public eye yet it wasn't so that makes it open for debate.
So it was Arrowhead Credit Union who dealt the cards to pastor/Dr Elliot who could have checked his hand and walked away. Yet he chose to play a loosing hand. A hand which exposed him to criticism because of an ill-advised political ploy to fight instead of quietly negotiating a settlement out of the spotlight. You have to wonder if things would have been different had Arrowhead made that check out to Terry Elliot instead of Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church? I guess we'll never know?
ty, part of the problem for me is that Arrowhead says " we acknowledge a problem and are fixing them" but yet wont identify the problem or the policy adjustments made to rectify the problem which e now know go much deeper into the ineptitude or negligence of Arrowhead. The article in the paper was clear that Mt. Zion was given a check, not Elliott. Maybe its not racial, but class instead and so many more people are coming to the forefront to acknowledge mistreatment by Arrowhead. From where I sit, all arrowhead has to do is show the public what they have doe and where they identified their problem areas to be and that would either support Pastor Elliott's claims or nake them moot.
It just seems to me if I was accused wrongly of racial insensetivity, and i had poloicies or records to prove the contrary, I would step up and publically show otherwise. Arrowhead's silence has instead given me cause to wonder if something is there that Arrowhead doesn't want the public to see.
I'm not pro Elliott or against him, I'm just saying if you are falsely accused, stand up and say it...Elliott Did!
If I was arrested for a lie and carted off to the pokey and all of my friends thought I had done something wrong, I would want my name cleared. Maybe it would help Elliott and me to erase suspiscion, if he would agree that if he got a settlement ( after paying his expenses, of course) that he would donate them to charity.
I do however think that unless Elliott has absolute proof of racial or class bias, Sharpton & Jackson or others are not necessary to stir the pot. Let the facts speak for themselves and let Arrowhead show me otherwise.
Ty, I LIKE you! LOL!
Sorry folks...Another question popped in my mind... Why did Arrowhead give the Money to Mt. Zion rather than to Elliott. Actually he was the one wronged. Maybe Arrowhead gave it to the church to gain the benefit of a tax deduction? Maybe Arrowhead gave elliott his argument...I dont know, but while Elliott may have added to my curiousity, I'm wondering if Arrowhead had an agenda too....
good point " No Venom", i have been watching this fiasco and Elliott has gotten his share of venom..rightly placed or not! but, what about an Arrowhead agenda? Why give it to Mt Zion and not Elliott? then i could have said, Elliott took the money, ran and then sued. but since they didnt give it to Elliott, I'm re-thinking my position on Elliott. He's getting my vote, and I might add, I'm not a "minority" ! Maybe the Donation to the church was a "PR" move! and I'm agreeing with you venom, Why hasn't Arrowhead said.....anything? it's not true, its a bunch of BS, or something! Their silence may be worth considering too!
Mr. Aguilar is out there dissembling and hand waving to cover-up bad practices at his non-profit Arrowhead credit union. In similar fashion he has claims that Redlands' budget is balanced, but he covers up the fact that it's been balanced at the expense of the little guy.
Take home lesson: be careful when dealing with institutions associated with Pete Aguilar. It can hazardous to your financial health.
Well now "No Venom," has me thinking which can be a dangerous thing but this is what I came up with in response to your points on Arrowhead's silence. Here goes. By the way if I may paraphrase the eloquent "PK" you iight yourself no venom. Although "A Church Member," may advise you to "THINK AGAIN," before concluding that I am indeed "cool daddy." Maybe before all of this is said and done we will have had a chance to pull out our tennis shoes and hand signs for a march on Arrowhead. Who knows maybe Reverend Al will leads us in a drive to shut the city down to show our displeasure with Arrowhead for failing to endorse that check payable to Terry Elliot? I'm sorry lets get back to the business at hand.
Why the silence at Arrowhead? What silence? They issued a written apology. The next day no less. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to quell the wrath of god. Once the written apology was issued, what more was there to say? How many ways can you effectively say I am sorry? Years ago $700 was "mistakenly," pulled from my account by B of A. That was nearly twenty years ago and I still haven't received as much as a "my bad." Did I call call Sharpton, Jackson, the NAACP, MAPA or the ACLU? No I closed my account and moved on to another financial institution.
The way I see it is if I make a mistake and sincerely apologize for that mistake, yet that apology is not good enough for you. Then the Onus is off me. The issue is entirely yours. So you do what you have to do "within the confines of the law of course," to attain satisfaction. In this instance that meant pursuing legal action and issuing threats of bringing in the posse. I guess I would expect this, maybe even understand it if this were coming from almost anyone else, but never ever never would I view this as acceptable behavior from a man of the cloth. Like it or not when you are a Pastor, Bishop, Reverend, Priest or Rabbi, you are called to a higher standard of living. You are required to handle things in a godly manner. Fair or not "what would Jesus do," becomes your guiding principle. Well maybe not for the Rabbi but for everyone else this most certainly applies.
So from a legal standpoint what does Arrowhead have to gain by issuing another public statement outside of court? You don't win any battles in the court of public opinion so why engage a hostile combatant with an agenda when you don't have to? You only serve to hurt yourself. Not to mention the fact that once "racism," or allegations thereof are thrown out there, how do you defend against that? You can't, that's indefensible. That is precisely why the National Action Network employs these types of tactics. Look at them historically, in every case their plan of attack is the same. Of course if you measure success by results, it hasn't been a very successful tactic but one they employ nonetheless. Unfortunately what this does is inflames or polarizes the situation destroying the possibility for meaningful dialog. Therefore when a legitimate case of racial injustice presents itself, it gets dismissed because nobody wants to hear and therefore take the time to investigate if indeed a wrong has been committed. So in effect the National Action Network and Al Sharpton serve as disinformation or agent provacatuers. Considering his "co-operation," in the past with the FBI it would seem he is well suited for that role.
In what way did threatening to bring this type of element in help defuse the situation? We see from the Sean Bell case in New York, the Jenna 6 case in Louisiana how effective they can be at inflaming peoples passions while delivering absolutely nothing in the way of resolution. So this brings me to Dr/ Pastor Elliot. Is this the way the Human Relations commission has run under his leadership? Is this what you consider effective conflict resolution? Are these the tactics you wish to teach not only your congregation but community as a whole? As for who is right and who is wrong. Well they're both at fault. Arrowehead failed miserably in the areas of customer service, community relations and efficiency, while Dr/Pastor failed to excercise the constraint, good judgement and effective conflict resolution "there's that term again," skills a man who holds the positions he does should have.
They probably didn't write the check out to Terry Elliot because they were confused which title to use. Just kidding geeze lighten up guys. Could have had something to do with the investigation. Or maybe it is just the times in which we live. We hear it all the time in relation to lower income people. Don't give them money "welfare," because they will just blow it. Some will some won't? We never talk about those with legitimate need of help if only for a moment. Don't give cash to the homeless because they'll just spend it on drugs or alcohol. What other alternative do they have when they don't have access to a prescription like the 80% of gainfully employed American's who are taking some version of mind or mood altering drug. If having your entire life crash around you isn't reason enough to look for a stiff one every now and again I don't know what is. Unfortunately that is the prevailing attitude of many people today, to think other wise one runs the risk of being labeled a "dirty liberal," which has taken the place of dirty commie among penny pinching left wing radicals and perpetually paranoid right wing fanatics. Doesn't leave much room for the thoughts and opinions of the common man with an realistic view of the world in which we live. By writing the check out to Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Arrowhead leadership excercised a measure of control over how the money was spent. Now if the check was cashed and filtered through the church back to the Pastor then that will show up when the court proceedings start. You are probably right in thinking that was a strategic decision on their behalf.
Yes, this IS how the HRC is run un Dr. Elliott. ANy excuse to name drop and bring in Al or Jesse!
ok Ty, seems like you have some real issues with Sharpton, with which many agree! the problem i have is with Arrowhead issuing the check to Mt Zion rather than Elliott. It's still a problem with me, not sharpton! unless......Elliott directed Arrowhead to issue the check that way! now that would twist my mind back 360 degrees to where i was at first. It just appears to me Arrowhead had an obligation to Elliott after all, he WAS ARRESTED! for me this is more serious than screwing up my account. I continue to agree that Sharpton and Jesse could not do much good unless of course, Elliott has proof that this practice is re-occuring and routine for Arrowhead. I guess you are right , we will see in the trial. Ty, you kind of lost me on the drugs thing....dont know where you were going with that one.... again, i say Elliott seems to be taking the brunt of the beating here and nobody is questioning Arrowhead at all. That is beginning to bother me. Lets put sharpton and Jess out of the equation for the moment and lets get the facts out! whew! this is exhausting,,,,hehehehe
When I heard about what had happened to my Pastor, I too, asked myself how could someone make such a mistake. Then I relized that we are human and as such we do make mistakes. It makes me sad when I hear someone suing another individual or establishment say that it is not about the money it is the principle of the issue. If it is the priniciple then why not go after the Credit Union to make it accountable and not place a dollar value on things. We as Christians have been taught that we are not supposed to conform to the ways of the world and that we are to be examples of what we teach. In my opinion to sue someone is Worldly not Godly. I would be one of the first ones to fight for my Pastor's reputation and this lawsuit is something that he is going to have to decide if it is right or wrong. Yes, the treatment he received was wrong, but it is the wrong things that are going on in the world that make it so corrupt. What we have to decide as a society is do we wish to continue to live in world that has certainly gone to Hell because of wrong doing or do we wish to try to do something about it without having our names called and stop pointing the finger at others. A wise man once told me that you cannot change and control others but you can make positive changes in yourself that others can see and may affect a change in them as well. After all aren't we supposed to be striving to be more like JESUS!!!