for 28 JUL 08: LOVE OF 53.3% OF THE BRETHREN

Instant Message to First Presbyterian Church: I couldn't get to your Sunday service. So about that title on the sign, "Scattered, Covered, Smothered" - did you serve waffles before or after the service?

I was busy at a different church service Sunday, where the main course was what some ministers like to call "Roast Preacher." Only for a change, this meal took place in the sanctuary - without waiting for the lunch table at Applebee's or Shoney's.

As we were first to post around 3:00 p.m. Sunday, weeks of controversy ended at First Baptist Church of Phenix City. Members voted to retain long-time Pastor Eugene Langner, Jr. The official announced vote was 112 to 98 - which will help in figuring next year's budget, as the board can expect approximately a 47 percent drop in income.

The vote came at a church conference after the morning worship service. A presiding deacon asked "members of the press" to leave the sanctuary when a motion on terminating the pastor came up. I was the only one who stood and left, probably to the surprise of the worshipers around me. They'd never expect someone in the news media to wear a sportcoat and tie to church, much less open his own Bible.

(TV news crews didn't show up until the church conference was well underway. But where was the Ledger-Enquirer's Allison Kennedy? Are religion reporters required to take Sundays off, to save money?)

I only heard the "leave" part, so I went out to the lobby area -- and with the top of the church sanctuary's back wall open, I was still able to hear the entire conference. As I noted when the choir sang, First Baptist of Phenix City has acoustics which simply are too good....

"I'm sorry," said a Mr. Adams who watched me walk out to the lobby. He didn't think the deacons running the church conference had the right to order me out. But I've been in denominations where even worship services are considered "private," and you need an invitation to attend. The ministers preached for America to repent, but wouldn't let Americans inside to hear it.

But when voting time came, deacon Steve McGarr came out to the lobby and asked me to step out of First Baptist Church. Trouble is, another member had talked with me minutes before - and said the Phenix City Police Chief had decided I could legally wait in the lobby. A chief named Brian McGarr?! Hmmmm -- sometimes it's good for families to worship together.

It turns out First Baptist Church of Phenix City has a number of powerful members. Police Chief Brian McGarr attended Sunday's service. Former Mayor Sammy Howard chairs the Stewardship Committee. And mayoral candidate Gene Oswalt openly asked me if I belonged in the building during the conference. At least he stopped short of calling me Idiot of the Week.

"I thought I saw Councilor [Ray] Bush in the choir," I said to a man leaning on a cane in the lobby during the church voting.

"He is," the man answered. "Not much of a Councilman...." I didn't dare ask about Bush's singing voice.

But anyway: the events leading up to Sunday's vote on Pastor Eugene Langner Jr. began long ago. During the church conference, the wife of a First Baptist Church deacon confessed she and her husband decided to leave months ago. But then they apparently started building evidence for removing the pastor - as if their pew was simply too comfortable.

A group of deacons met two weekends ago, and sent a letter to Pastor Eugene Langner asking him to retire. He never responded, and that led to Sunday's church conference motion on his termination. The motion did NOT mention the word "firing" - since the Baptists tend to reserve fire primarily for Satan and sinners, and no one really called the pastor either one.

But before Sunday's church conference, a group of upset First Baptist Church members raced to Russell County Court and tried to stop the vote. A judge ruled Friday church bylaws were being followed. I'm not sure if the ultimate "church law" was followed, and the pastor was declared a false prophet.

The drama behind this vote inspired me to dress up for church Sunday morning, and attend First Baptist Church of Phenix City for the first time. The church's web site indicated Saturday night there were services at 9:30 and 11:00, so I arrived around 10:30 -- to find no early service at all. But then again, the church "news" section didn't mention a vote on firing the pastor.

As I waited for the 10:45 a.m. organ prelude to begin, I heard one woman in the sanctuary tell another: "He controls everything in this church. The money...." I wasn't sure if she was talking about the pastor, the disgruntled deacon - or if this was where Sammy Howard gained his experience with financial matters.

A man who gave the invocation at the worship service hinted at the mood. He prayed for "healing on every heart...." Trouble is, too many times anger results from a troubled brain....

Several First Baptist Church members showed up wearing light blue ribbons, and stickers saying: "Thy will be done -- Jesus Christ." Those were the supporters of Pastor Eugene Langner -- but I'm sure if the color blue meant anything. No one brought up Presidential politics in the discussion at all.

Critics of the First Baptist Church pastor claimed the church is dying, as income declines. Yet when offering time came, the plate never came down my row. Don't blame the Pastor for this - talk to the ushers.

(A young man next to me offered to take the money in my hand, which I was ready to donate. But I put it in my shirt pocket instead. For all I knew, he could have a visiting spectator like me -- and the dollar bill would have bought him a bottle of soda after the service.)

When the time came for the sermon, Eugene Langner did NOT sound like a pastor who was preaching to save his job. But when he began by mentioning "precious memories" of 25 years at First Baptist Church, part of me wondered if he was going to surprise everyone and announce his resignation. But this IS Phenix City, where calls for resignations often are ignored.

Eugene Langner noted he's spent the "larger portion of my adult life" as First Baptist Church Pastor. But then he went into his message on "The Temple of God" from Mark 10 - and he noted when it comes to the church, "self-interest is not limited to the first century." Which is why I didn't take any CD's to sell in the parking lot....

Pastor Eugene Langner warned against using the church for political gain, business networking or ego-building. Do that, he said, and "you rob people of an opportunity of an encounter with God." To Langner's credit, he never prayed for God to send lightning down on the deacons who wanted him fired.

When the traditional Baptist invitation came at the end of the service, the closing song lasted much longer than usual. Several people came forward to hug Pastor Eugene Langner - and he seemed to fight back tears at times, as if some expected it to be his farewell sermon. Instead, the "Men's Breakfast" Wednesday morning at Hughston Memorial Hospital will double as a victory party.

Pastor Eugene Langner quietly exited "stage left" from the sanctuary, as the church conference after the service began talking about his future. I have no idea where he went from there - whether into his office to pray, or down the road to Summerville Baptist Church to drop off a resume.

The majority of the members who spoke at the conference backed the pastor, and opposed the motion to terminate him. One woman read a poem of tribute she wrote for Eugene Langner years ago - and when she was applauded for it, the presiding deacon warned: "Hold any outbursts.... this is a Christian meeting...." Clearly this was NOT a Pentecostal meeting.

One of the First Baptist Church deacons admitted the call for termination was a "drastic motion." Eugene Langner would have been required to clear out his office immediately, move out of the church parsonage within 30 days - and I'm not sure he even would have been given a photo album of the members as a parting gift.

One supporter of the termination motion compared it to a sports team. He said if First Baptist Church of Phenix City isn't growing, you don't fire the team - you replace the coach. Given all the off-season arrests of Alabama and Georgia football players, that could be changing....

The deacons who called for the termination accused Pastor Eugene Langner of being controlling, and insisting on having things done his way. So?! That approach has made Donald Trump a reality TV star.

One speaker related how the pastor "berated publicly.... in front of others" a former music minister. In fact, the current First Baptist Church music minister reportedly plans to quit in the wake of Sunday's vote -- so apparently his grade for Eugene Langner is an F-major.

But the pastor had plenty of defenders during the hour-long discussion. A couple of them admitted THEY were guilty of not following Eugene Langner's example, and visiting people in need. And in the wake of this weekend's political accusations, visits to Martin Army Hospital could reach an all-time high this week.

Other speakers said a 25-year pastor shouldn't be rushed to termination in the space of two weeks. To quote one member: "You don't just up and throw somebody out overnight...." Unless, that is, you're an Auburn University trustee who has a problem with the football coach....

Then there was the young woman who stood up and declared: "It's really stupid that we're all doing this.... childish, actually." She said members who think they "own their pew" and don't like the pastor should leave the church. That woman may have grasped the sermon about Jesus cleaning the temple better than anyone else.

Some people think the decision to retain Pastor Eugene Langner came down to older members vs. younger members. In fact, one adult at the conference claimed teenagers were "recruited" to attend the meeting and back the pastor. That'll teach the deacons to schedule their vote for the Sunday after a "Youth Bible School" week - because revivals can still happen.

In fact, a check of the First Baptist Church web site Sunday night left me wondering if younger members had hacked it. Six months' worth of sermon recordings which were online Saturday night disappeared -- replaced by a simple home page saying "Imperfect Youth" have a voice. I thought the point was to let the pastor keep having his....

The fact that only 210 viable votes were cast by members may prove one of the critics' points. Phenix City First Baptist Church has been around for more than 125 years - yet in attendance, it may have dropped to fourth or fifth.

It seemed very clear as I left Sunday night that a big split is coming at Phenix City First Baptist Church. It was evident in some of the passing comments I heard from members - like the man who quipped: "I've never been in a church with so many devils."

Then there was the couple in the parking lot which admitted it was displeased with the vote to keep the pastor. "We'll be gone," the wife told me.

"There are plenty of other Baptist churches in Phenix City," I noted -- and the husband agreed.

"I might just turn Methodist!" the woman firmly declared. She'll be disappointed if she does - because I grew up a United Methodist, and that denomination does NOT change pastors based on membership votes.

THE BIG BLOG QUESTION dares to ask what you think of this drama. Should church members have the right to fire their pastors? Is the minister to blame if a congregation doesn't grow? Or do the members simply need to do something new and creative - like allowing choir members to play tambourines?

There was other news Sunday, outside the church building....

+ Columbus Police reported someone broke into Mike and Ed's Bar-B-Q on Veterans Parkway, and stole more than $500 worth of food from the freezer. C'mon, buddy - you could have moved your NASCAR-watching party to a sports bar, and no one would have objected.

+ Congressman Sanford Bishop and state Rep. Calvin Smyre organized a dinner at Green Island Country Club, to honor Miss Georgia Chasity Hardman. Smyre indicated this was done because Hardman is from Columbus. But she won the crown as "Miss Capital City" - so shouldn't this minister's daughter be required to ask publicly for forgiveness?

+ Instant Message to Publix stores: Why don't you follow the example of Kroger, and remove jalapenos from your produce section? Then we could all say Publix pulled pecks of problem peppers....

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UPDATE 1....