Fanning the flames

National | Newspaper, authorities turn up heat on black Baptist leader | David Aikman

Embattled St. Petersburg, Fla., pastor Henry J. Lyons has been busy putting out fires. He is under criminal investigation by state and federal authorities for his financial dealings as president of the National Baptist Convention U.S.A. (NBCUSA), one of the nation's largest predominantly black denominations (see WORLD, Sept. 20).

His lawyer, Grady Irvin, said he returned to the Jewish Anti-Defamation League $214,500 of $244,500 it gave Mr. Lyons earlier this year. The money was to be used to help rebuild black churches damaged or destroyed by fire. Mr. Lyons gave $10,000 to each of three Alabama pastors of burned churches who accompanied him to the ADL presentation. He later assured donors he had distributed the ADL funds to affected churches. However, a Tampa Tribune investigation found the churches listed by Mr. Lyons had not received any of the money. Mr. Lyons told reporters he had not given the money because he discovered the churches didn't need it. Outraged, ADL officials demanded an accounting. After they got back their money, they gave it to the Congress of National Black Churches (CNBC) for distribution to burned churches.