National Baptist Convention Usa Inc

Pledging to extend America's prosperity to all, Vice President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush both campaigned long distance Thursday among representatives of the nation's largest African American denomination, but it was Gore's message that drew applause. Speaking via satellite to many of the 25,000 delegates in Los Angeles at the annual gathering of the National Baptist Convention USA Inc., Gore drew repeated rounds of applause.

The new president of the nation's largest African American Baptist denomination is pledging to lead his church to higher ground after a year of scandal and the jailing of its former president. The National Baptist Convention USA Inc. was rocked last year when the Rev. Henry Lyons was convicted of a variety of financial irregularities, including stealing money donated to rebuild burned Southern black churches.

The new president of the nation's largest African American Baptist denomination is pledging to lead his church to higher ground after a year of scandal and the jailing of its former president. The National Baptist Convention USA Inc. was rocked last year when the Rev. Henry Lyons was convicted of a variety of financial irregularities, including stealing money donated to rebuild burned Southern black churches.

Pledging to extend America's prosperity to all, Vice President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush both campaigned long distance Thursday among representatives of the nation's largest African American denomination, but it was Gore's message that drew applause. Speaking via satellite to many of the 25,000 delegates in Los Angeles at the annual gathering of the National Baptist Convention USA Inc., Gore drew repeated rounds of applause.

The president of one of the nation's largest African American denominations was found guilty Saturday of racketeering, convicted of bilking more than $4 million from companies seeking to sell products to the group's members. The Rev. Henry Lyons, 57, of the National Baptist Convention USA was also found guilty of two counts of grand theft in connection with $244,000 given to him from the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith to rebuild burned-out black churches throughout the South.

When the Rev. Henry J. Lyons accepted a $225,000 check to rebuild burned black churches, he sunk $60,000 in his savings account and spent part of the money to redecorate his house and pay off bills, prosecutors said Tuesday. Lyons had told the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith the money would go immediately to "the wheels that are squeaking the loudest." But prosecutors said he gave $12,000 to his wife and sent money to love interests in Tennessee and Indiana.

The Rev. Henry Lyons, the president of the National Baptist Convention USA, pleaded not guilty to racketeering and grand theft during a hearing in St. Petersburg. A trial was set for January 1999. Lyons, 55, was arrested in February and charged with two counts of grand theft and one count of racketeering.

The Alabama State Missionary Baptist Convention, the largest black Baptist organization in the state and an affiliate of the beleaguered National Baptist Convention, USA, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. The convention's membership includes about 900 churches with a total of 420,000 members, said the Rev. W.E. Pitts, a Tuscaloosa minister who is the convention's executive secretary-treasurer.

The head of the nation's largest black church organization denied reports that the National Baptist Convention U.S.A. tried to coerce a teen-age beauty pageant contestant into withdrawing her rape complaint against boxer Mike Tyson. The Rev. T.J. Jemison, president of the group, acknowledged he telephoned the woman but denied that he tried to pressure her into changing her story or offered her money.

The National Baptist Convention U.S.A. Inc., the nation's third-largest Protestant denomination, Friday urged the United States to negotiate a settlement with Iraq in the Persian Gulf crisis, "no matter how horrific the position of Saddam Hussein might appear." About 1,500 delegates to the black denomination's annual meeting in Los Angeles approved without debate a resolution that reflected the stance of National Baptist President T. J. Jemison.

Declaring that "overwhelming damage" was done to the nation's largest black Baptist denomination by the conviction of its former president on criminal charges, a leading New York pastor campaigning to replace him is calling for reforms and an end to the church's "imperial presidency." In appearances this week in Los Angeles, the Rev. W.

The Rev. E.V. Hill, long a politically conservative voice among African American clergy, declared his candidacy Wednesday for president of the nation's largest black Baptist denomination to succeed the Rev. Henry Lyons, recently convicted of misusing church funds. Hill, 65, one of the most prominent black ministers in Los Angeles and pastor of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, said Wednesday that he can provide leadership that the National Baptist Convention USA "desperately needs."

Sobbing and pleading for mercy, the Rev. Henry Lyons was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison Wednesday for swindling more than $4 million while president of one of the nation's largest and most influential black denominations. The 57-year-old minister was also ordered to repay almost $2.5 million. "I cannot shake the feeling that I have let so many people down," Lyons told Circuit Judge Susan Schaeffer. "I've asked God every single night and day to forgive me." Lyons was convicted Feb.

The alleged mistress of the Rev. Henry Lyons has pleaded guilty to two federal tax evasion charges for her part in a scheme to swindle companies doing business with the National Baptist Convention USA. Bernice Edwards, acquitted last month of state racketeering charges, agreed Thursday to pay $200,000 in back taxes on $500,000 of unreported income. She faces up to 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine at sentencing, which had yet to be scheduled.

The Rev. Henry J. Lyons, president of one of the nation's largest and most influential black denominations, sobbed and apologized as he resigned two weeks after being convicted of swindling more than $4 million. "I'm just so sorry about all of this," he said quietly at a news conference outside his Bethel Metropolitan Baptist Church in St. Petersburg, Fla., where he told the board of the National Baptist Convention USA of his decision. Lyons was convicted Feb.

The president of one of the nation's largest African American denominations was found guilty Saturday of racketeering, convicted of bilking more than $4 million from companies seeking to sell products to the group's members. The Rev. Henry Lyons, 57, of the National Baptist Convention USA was also found guilty of two counts of grand theft in connection with $244,000 given to him from the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith to rebuild burned-out black churches throughout the South.

The president of the largest U.S. black Christian denomination said Wednesday that he supports President Bush's quick response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait but is against any American combat action in the Persian Gulf. "We don't want men and women killed over the issue of oil," the Rev. T. J. Jemison of Baton Rouge, La., said in Los Angeles as he gaveled open the annual five-day meeting of the National Baptist Convention U.S.A. Inc.

The National Baptist Convention, USA, has been sued by a Nashville bank for failing to repay a $300,000 loan. The lawsuit is the latest challenge to face the denomination, whose president, the Rev. Henry J. Lyons, recently survived attempts to oust him after allegations of marital and financial irregularities. And on Tuesday, the denomination returned $214,500 to the Anti-Defamation League that had not yet been distributed to burned African American churches.

When the Rev. Henry J. Lyons accepted a $225,000 check to rebuild burned black churches, he sunk $60,000 in his savings account and spent part of the money to redecorate his house and pay off bills, prosecutors said Tuesday. Lyons had told the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith the money would go immediately to "the wheels that are squeaking the loudest." But prosecutors said he gave $12,000 to his wife and sent money to love interests in Tennessee and Indiana.

The beleaguered president of the National Baptist Convention USA went before his congregation Thursday asking for forgiveness for an affair. He got it--and thousands in cash to fight federal charges of extortion, fraud and money laundering. The Rev. Henry J. Lyons roused delegates to their feet with a sermon on forgiveness that focused on the word of the Bible. "I want you to know today, from the bottom of my heart, from the bottom of my soul, I am truly sorry.