Members of a Georgia church voted recently to fire a pastor, who this summer banished a 103-year-old member who openly criticized his preaching manner, or his "holiness style."
Members of Union Grove Baptist Church of Elberton, Ga., voted Sunday to remove the Rev. Tim Mattox, who received national attention in August when he banned Genora Hamm Biggs from the church, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
But Mattox is apparently ignoring the vote, even after members issued him a “Letter of Termination” and ordered him to remove his property from the church, according to the AJC.
Instead, Mattox upped the ante on Tuesday, obtaining a restraining orders against Biggs; one of her grandsons, Elliot Dye; and a former church secretary, the report says. A court hearing is scheduled for Oct. 5.
Tensions have been brewing between the two since Mattox arrived at the church about six years ago. Biggs and Mattox have clashed over what she calls a "holiness style" that Mattox brought into the church. Biggs, a member of Union Grove for 92 years, said that sort of preaching did not belong in a Baptist church.
"At one point he had a crew in here and they were hollering and falling out in the middle of the floor. We don't do that in the Baptist Church," Biggs said earlier this month.
The dispute reached a peak in August when Mattox sent Biggs a letter saying she was no longer welcome at the church or on church property "for any reason what so ever."
But members have apparently sided with Biggs. On Sept. 20, about "50 members who no longer attend every week—either because of their own disputes with Mattox or because they've moved away—returned and voted to remove Mattox, and appoint a 90-day interim pastor," according to 11Alive News.
Dye, Biggs' grandson, told the television news outlet that they all believe their vote on Sunday would override the 11 members who signed the letter to oust Biggs.
11Alive could not reach Mattox for comment, noting that it is uncertain what will happen Sunday, "since Mattox still considers himself the pastor, and the interim pastor is also expected to be at the church."
Read more at AJC and 11Alive News.