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Minister is ordered to stay away from church; members fear harm
By Gregory A. Hall :: The Courier-Journal
Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church officials who say they fear that their former pastor will physically harm members were granted a court order yesterday intended to keep the minister away from the Cane Run Road church. Jefferson Circuit Judge Tom McDonald issued a temporary injunction against Forrest Brooks after a hearing yesterday morning, ordering the minister to stay off church property. Church members filled the courtroom during the hearing, and the crowd overflowed into the hallway.
Aubrey Williams, Brooks' attorney, said he will ask the Kentucky Court of Appeals to overturn McDonald's ruling. Williams said his client is still the pastor of the church.
Brooks, 41, is a volunteer Louisville police chaplain, but he has been relieved of those duties pending the outcome of an unrelated Jefferson District Court case in which he is charged with fourth-degree assault and menacing.
The chairman of the church's board of deacons, Robert Hunt, and the chairman of its board of trustees, Larry Rogers, filed a civil lawsuit against Brooks on Jan. 29 asking for the injunction and an accounting of church funds. That was the same day that a majority of the trustees and deacons fired Brooks, according to the lawsuit.
Brooks attempted to transfer church bank accounts into his control and hired a locksmith to regain entry to the property, according to a sworn written statement by Rogers. The attorney for Rogers and Hunt, William J. Driscoll, cited Rogers' allegations when asking the judge Jan. 29 to issue a restraining order immediately.
Driscoll indicated in court filings that he sent a copy of his request to Williams' office and spoke with Williams' staff, but could not contact the opposing attorney directly.
McDonald issued the restraining order that day keeping Brooks off church property until yesterday's hearing. In court documents filed by Williams, Brooks counters that Hunt and Rogers had no authority to file the lawsuit because they had been removed from office by majority vote of the church's membership on Jan. 27 and Jan. 28.
Hunt and Rogers are retaliating because Brooks questioned the men about use of church money and because Brooks decided to license women to preach, according to the Brooks filing.
Brooks also said he won a no-confidence vote by a 152-70 decision, according to the filing. During yesterday's hearing, at least three church members testified that some members fear for the safety of fellow members or themselves.
One of them, church janitor Raymond C. Stewart, testified that Brooks approached him on three occasions in a threatening manner, according to McDonald's ruling. Stewart testified that, one time, Williams "tried to strike (Stewart) with his motor vehicle," according to the ruling.
In issuing the injunction, McDonald cited the fears by church members of personal harm and the right of the trustees to fire Brooks.
Whether Brooks' firing was done according to church bylaws isn't the issue, McDonald wrote.
"As a result of the action by the board to terminate his employment, Mr. Brooks lost the right to continue as pastor," McDonald wrote.
After the hearing, about 40 of Brooks' supporters remained in the hallway, meeting with the minister and Williams. Williams told the crowd he would file the appeal quickly and was optimistic that it would be successful.
"It is absolutely preposterous for them to come in here under oath and say they have the authority to hire and fire the pastor," Williams said.
He urged the crowd to continue to support Brooks as their pastor.
Brooks told his supporters they will conduct Sunday services at another location.
The filings before McDonald made no mention of the misdemeanor criminal charges against Brooks in district court that involve a church member. A hearing in that case is scheduled for Feb. 21
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