Woman, 92, banned from church she has attended for 50 years for not paying tithes
Josephine King said she stopped payments earlier this year amid concerns about where the money was going
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Josephine King cannot remember precisely how long she has been a member of the First African Baptist Church in the Georgia town of Bainbridge. It may be fifty years.
What the 92-year-old does know is that when her mobility was a little better, she attended the church every day. She also ensured she paid without fail a monthly tithe - ten per cent of her income – to the church.
But Ms King has now been told she is no longer welcome at the church after being accused of insufficient “financial and physical participation”.
“I can’t name the exact dates, but it has been a long time,” she told The Independent of her membership.
“I went every day. If there was something that needed doing, I would step forward to do it. I volunteered for so many things.”
Ms King said she had stopped paying the tithe earlier this year amid concerns about a former pastor and what was being done with the money.
Relatives of Ms King, a former school teacher, told the WALB television network she was one of two dozen people who had received a letter from the church informing them they were no longer members.
“Josephine King is no longer considered a member of the First African Baptist Church of Bainbridge, Georgia,” said the letter to Ms King. It bore the signature of Senior Pastor Derrick Mike.
Nobody from the church was available for comment on Thursday.
Ms King said she was worried about what will happen to her friends who had received a letter but that she was not concerned for herself.
“My church is my heart,” she said. “I know God has me in his care.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments