You are here: Home > News >United Church News > Battle waged over future of Brockton's Lincoln Church
Battle waged over future of Brockton's Lincoln Church
April, 2001
By Tiffany Vail
More than 100 years ago the Congregational churches of Massachusetts helped a group of newly settled, black families to start the Lincoln Congregational Church in Brockton.
Now, in what has become an emotional battle over the future of the church, a handful of long-time members have gone to court to try to preserve that Congregational heritage.
They have filed suit against the pastor and his supporters, saying they have violated church bylaws by attempting to withdraw from the United Church of Christ and affiliate with the American Baptist Churches. They also say the pastor and his supporters have improperly spent church funds, and they have gotten an injunction against plans to buy property for a new church building elsewhere in town.
“This man is trying to take the history and the heritage of this church, said one of the plaintiffs, Denise Baker Bradley, whose grandfather was a church founder. “A lot of people have been hurt by this, a lot of people have had their faith shaken. But I’m not going to stand by and let him take this church.”
Crayton, who is an ordained Baptist minister, has refused to discuss the issue with Association and Conference representatives, and declined to comment for this article. But in court papers and in comments to the Brockton Enterprise, he has denied that he and his supporters have done anything wrong. He also said that while the church wishes to affiliate with the American Baptist Churches, it will continue to be the Lincoln Congregational Church.
“It totally astonishes me that they wish to be a Baptist church but continue to be Lincoln Congregational Church,” said Dale Hempen, Southeast Area Minister. “That is a whole heritage they are saying they are a part of, but not the denomination.”
Crayton argues that the church is flourishing under his leadership, growing from about 15 active members when he arrived to 300 today. He and his followers in December put a $35,000 deposit down on a piece of vacant land, saying they need to build a new, larger church to house the growing congregation.
But the plaintiffs in the case say Crayton had no right to spend the money, which the congregation had placed into a trust fund after selling the parsonage before Crayton came.
According to the church’s long-time members, the problems began not long after Crayton was called to the church 13 years ago.
The long-time members say Crayton systematically removed them from committees, replacing them with his own backers. Also named in the suit are several trustees, including Crayton’s wife, Cornelia, and his daughter-in-law, Tiesha.
Eucley Wooten, 79, says Crayton removed him from the Board of Deacons after 50 years of service, and changed the locks on the church to keep him out.
“There is not a single person who was a member before he came who is on a board now,” Wooten said. “He’s stacking the deck, and that has no place in the church.”
The long-time members also say many of the older members stopped attending worship because of Crayton’s more flamboyant style of preaching.
Then, at a meeting in 1996, Crayton and the church’s newer members voted to withdraw from the UCC, and Crayton sent a letter to the Conference officers informing them of the vote. Officers of the Pilgrim Association responded by asking for a meeting with representatives of the church, explaining that in the polity of the UCC such decisions are made only after prayerful discernment by both of those bodies that are in covenant together. Crayton never agreed to a meeting, so the Association never voted to dismiss the church from membership.
Then in March, 2000, Crayton and the new members voted to join the American Baptist Churches.
Richard Wainwright, the attorney for the long-time members, says his clients were never properly notified of either of the meetings, which makes the votes to leave the UCC and join the Baptist Churches invalid. Crayton argues that those who were not notified were no longer members; Wainwright says they were. Wainwright said the bylaws prevent the church from revoking memberships without proper discussion with the members in question, and he said such discussion never happened.
After the March, 2000 vote, some of those long-time members sent pledge checks to the church to prove their desire to continue to be members. Crayton returned those checks, uncashed.
“You can’t deny people membership unless you disregard your constitution and bylaws,” Hempen said.
Hempen said the Brockton case is a clear example as to why churches have to make sure their bylaws are in order, and why they must be careful when calling a pastor from another denomination.
“People get frustrated when we focus on the constitution and the bylaws, but they are there for the church’s protection,” Hempen said. “It is very troubling to see a people in danger of losing their history,” he said. “People need to be aware. If a person comes in to your church with a lot of new members, and it feels like you’re losing your church – you probably are.”
Wainwright agreed. “This is a perfect example of letting the camel get his nose under the tent,” he said. “Any church that has its membership dwindling, and has a little bit of money, could have this happen. If you don’t continue to attend worship and go to meetings, your church could disappear out from under you.”