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According to court filings, a South Carolina school board chairman is suing his siblings after they attempted to have him removed – not from his elected position with the school district, but from his role as pastor at a local church.
Richland School District One (a.k.a. “Richland One“) school board chairman and Grace Christian Church pastor Aaron Bishop is suing his brother and two sisters after he quelled their bid to remove him as pastor.
According to the filings, Bishop asked for – and was granted – a paid, six-month sabbatical in March of 2022, but failed to communicate with church leadership when he unexpectedly extended his time away from the pulpit. After not hearing from Bishop for thirty days after his scheduled return, church leadership sent him a letter extending his sabbatical through 2024, while revoking his pay and access to the church’s bank accounts and sanctuary.
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According to the minutes of a “special church meeting” called on October 1, 2023, “membership stated they supported his initial sabbatical leave, however after no response to the congregation needs or attendance and seeing several public and community appearances, a decision was determined by the quorum in attendance to remove Dr. Aaron Bishop as the senior pastor of Grace Christian Church.”
Bishop’s lawsuit alleged that proper procedures weren’t followed to facilitate his removal from the pulpit. As such, the prodigal pastor returned to his church in October 2023 – and added seven members to the organization’s board.
These members promptly voted to give him the authority to use church funds to take legal action against the members who moved to oust him.
(Click to View)
Defendants Angela Bishop Hammonds, Robin McRae and Roderick Bishop contend they followed the organization’s bylaws in removing their brother, and are fighting his lawsuit.
Richland One spokeswoman Karen York declined to comment on the pending litigation.
Count on this outlet to keep our audience in the loop on any new developments tied to this case – and to continue keeping close tabs on those entrusted with leading South Carolina’s taxpayer-funded schools.
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THE LAWSUIT…
(Via: S.C. Fifth Judicial Circuit)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
(Via: Travis Bell)
Dylan Nolan is the director of special projects at FITSNews. He graduated from the Darla Moore school of business in 2021 with an accounting degree. Got a tip or story idea for Dylan? Email him here. You can also engage him socially @DNolan2000.
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3 comments
Doctoral degrees in what and from what mail-order program? Sounds like a couple conmen.
“4 So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, 6 but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? 7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you.”
1 Corinthians 6:4-7
You could NOT make this stuff up ……..