The church that got irked at its pastor for calling a mandatory service on Super Bowl Sunday voted to fire him Monday night.
New Salem Missionary Baptist Church of Birmingham voted 67-10 to fire the Rev. Stanley B. Hall Sr., pastor of New Salem since 1994. Hall filed a request for a temporary restraining order last week to stop the vote. At a hearing last week, Jefferson County Circuit Judge Helen Shores Lee said that the vote could take place, but would not be legally binding unless it abided by the church's bylaws.
Luke Walker, chairman of the deacon board, said a court date before Lee has been set for March 31 at 9 a.m.
"The court's going to have the final say, but the message has been sent to the circuit court," Walker said. Walker presided over the church meeting and did not allow questions. "This is not a trial tonight," he said.
Efforts to reach Hall for comment were unsuccessful.
"We want to try this in court, not in the press," said Gloria Brown Collins, Hall's attorney. Walker said that Hall requested that all deacons and trustees of the church attend a consecration service that started at kickoff time on Super Bowl Sunday, Jan. 26. He said deacons and trustees were warned by Hall that they had to attend. Three deacons and three trustees who didn't attend received a letter from the pastor, dismissing them from their positions as deacons and trustees. Yancey Williams, who said he supported Hall, objected that he was not allowed to ask questions at the meeting. "No one could speak on his behalf," Williams said.
Brenda Axle said Hall was right to require deacons and trustees to attend a consecration service. "They chose the Super Bowl over this church," she said.
"I will no longer stay if Rev. Hall is not pastor," she said. "My entire family will be leaving."