A Dallas Church is Having Trouble Firing Its Allegedly Lying, Thieving, Pot-Smoking Pastor

The trustees of 92-year-old Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in South Dallas realized they'd made a mistake almost as soon as they'd hired Calvin Wayne Thomas to tend their flock. His first sin was a minor one, coming during an early meeting to discuss church business that Thomas presided over like a dictator, refusing to open the floor to discussion

Things went downhill from there.

Next, trustees say, came the nepotism, which was blatant and unapologetic. Soon after that meeting, Thomas installed his son-and-law and another family member, both of whom had verbally committed to joining the church just days before. Then, he shut out the church's finance committee, eventually deposing its chairman. Then, trustees learned of his arrest for marijuana possession. This had happened during a traffic stop in August 2012, a month after trustees voted to hire him but two months before he was officially installed. (In the arrest report, police list his occupation as "bus driver.&quot

The case was dismissed after Thomas agreed to pay a fine and perform community service, but trustees were miffed that he neglected to mention it. Had they known, they probably would have chosen a different pastor since "this type of criminal offense presents a morality concern compounded with your failure to disclosure (sic) this information to the Board and the Church," the church's attorney would later write.

Worst of all, Thomas just wasn't a very good minister. Of the first dozen Sundays in 2013, he preached just six and never performed a baptism despite a long list of candidates. Meanwhile, attendance plummeted.

More at http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2013/06/church_having_trouble_firing_a.php .