The Pastor Who Wouldn't Leave

I built a column a couple of years ago around the ''Saturday Night Live'' horror movie parody, ''The Thing That Wouldn't Leave.'' John Belushi played a guest whom homeowners couldn't get out of their house.

[Member]

Hope johnson, Lehigh County court and her hand full of followers read this word for word because this is as true as it gets.

[cynicallycrazy]

HISTORY LESSON! Separation of CHURCH and STATE.
This matter has become a political football being kicked around by judges.
The Founding Fathers, who were so much smarter than us, wrote in a CONSTITUTION, that, the government shall NOT establish a religion and force people to follow it.

[Sad to watch it all]

It is time that the UCC's Penn Northeast Conference step in and call the Salem UCC to repentance. This local body should be closed and its members asked to transfer to other local congregations. It is clear that the leaders of Salem UCC can not stand alone and Ms. Darcy would rather shame the church and herself then step aside. It is truly a sad 'witness' to the community. But I have little hope that the denomination that presented the Rev. Wright and Ms. Darcy can resolve this problem. In trying to be everything for everybody the UCC is left empty. A Church no more, but a social hall.

[another member]

Oh - you hit the nail on the head - the thing thw wouldn't leave, precious!!!!!

[local mom]

It's not the robe she' wearing...it's the name she's signing...

[Kennethsson]

We are told that Darcy's services as pastor of the Church was terminated ... Then why does she disregard the decision of the Church Board?... Does Darcy think she owns the Church property? If so, she is in a state of delusion ....

The County Judiciary which side-stepped the issue should be rebuked ... Darcy was an employee of the Church ... The Church no longer wanted her services as Pastor .... Therefore Darcy can not act as Pastor of that Church or use its premises as Pastor of a new independent Church without the permission of the Board ... A Permission for obvious reasons would not be granted ...

Therefore the decision of the Lehigh County Court not to intervene on the side of the plaintiff is tantamont to support of the defendant ... But the grounds are not there for the Court to support the defendant.

Even if there were grounds for the Court to support the defendant, they could not overturn the fact that the Board opted to terminate the services of their Pastor, but they could award monetary damages to the defendant if the termination was made without justified grounds.

I don't know if the award of monetary damages to Darcy is merited in this case.

What I am saying is, we should use Common Sense and the logic of Solomon to decide the issue ... The logic of political favors is out of order here

[another member]

Sad to watch it all wrote:

It is time that the UCC's Penn Northeast Conference step in and call the Salem UCC to repentance. This local body should be closed and its members asked to transfer to other local congregations. It is clear that the leaders of Salem UCC can not stand alone and Ms. Darcy would rather shame the church and herself then step aside. It is truly a sad 'witness' to the community. But I have little hope that the denomination that presented the Rev. Wright and Ms. Darcy can resolve this problem. In trying to be everything for everybody the UCC is left empty. A Church no more, but a social hall.

only sad part about that is there is no other UCC in Catty - and alot of them walk over from the high rise in Catty, they would have to switch there denomination and some of them have attended Salem since they were children.

[another member]

local mom wrote:

It's not the robe she' wearing...it's the name she's signing...

Amen!

[chris]

what a shame for the church members , this woman sounds like she has a serious mental problems.......her family is often nothing
but a nuisance to society !

[Sad to watch it all]

another member wrote:

<quoted text>
only sad part about that is there is no other UCC in Catty - and alot of them walk over from the high rise in Catty, they would have to switch there denomination and some of them have attended Salem since they were children.

It is very hard and sad when you have deep roots and historical with a local congregation such as Salem UCC. But, it is important to Worship G*d and be taught from HIS word and again feel the comfort of the fellowship of believers.

[Sanctuary]

Bill... come on. Churches, groups of worship etc... are quick to claim an exemption from government rules, i.e. taxes, land use, zoning,etc.. now, they want to use government for a pastor that is claiming "sanctuary". I agree with Martin. This is a church, not government problem.

[Steve from Tamaqua]

Sanctuary wrote:

Bill... come on. Churches, groups of worship etc... are quick to claim an exemption from government rules, i.e. taxes, land use, zoning,etc.. now, they want to use government for a pastor that is claiming "sanctuary". I agree with Martin. This is a church, not government problem.

No, it is a government (law) problem. If I am terminated by my employer, I have no right to be on the property after such termination if the former employer does not want me there. If I choose to ignore or disobey their wishes, and if they call the police, I would be charged with defiant trespass. Whether it's a church or not shouldn't matter. She was hired, and susequently fired, just like an employee in a secular business. The same laws should apply in eihter scenario.

[WhiskeyNose]

Sounds like a bunch of religious fanatics, and it is a shame to watch DA Jim Martin slowly loose his mind and gradually going senile. It seems that Mag Balliet is the only one with sense here.
Maybe they should all turn to and worship the bottle instead of the bible.

[Salem Member]

The court the Mayor of Catty and Borough Hall all talk out of both sides of their mouth because they all must be under the Atiyeh umbrella.

[The Reverend]

Children of my flock, rejoice, for Satan has appeared in the form of a woman bent on destroying you. Unite, stand strong and cast this evil being from your fold.

In other words Dump the Darcy.

[The Fatty from Catty]

She needs to move on to where she is appreciated.

[A praying member]

I have been following the reporting of the news for this situation and I can say again that the Morning Call is a "Moaning Call" type of newspaper.
As the members of the congregation have been bullied by a consistory that DOES NOT represent the congregation, the Moaning Call caters to their comments ONLY, where are those who voted to support the pastor in the first vote, a majority. What about the survey that went out and she had above average comments. You don't get termnated with those results you get training and development to correct problem areas. Most of the congreagation don' want to go back because they can't take the gossip, the dirty looks, closed doors, and mean spirited people who are now "IN CHARGE" All have sinned and fallen short of God's grace, let us forgive and reconcile -- what a witness that would be to the those who are looking at this from the outside. May Christ's Peace prevail. AMEN.

[Seize The Church]

Why can't the I.R.S. seize the church to settle Rev. Atiyeh's debts.This would end this drama!

[Krissa]

Ironic that Bill White picked "The Thing That Wouldn't Leave" sketch with John Belushi to make the comparison to the Darcy situation. She bears more than a passing resemblance to Belushi.

[Hope]

Seize The Church wrote:

Why can't the I.R.S. seize the church to settle Rev. Atiyeh's debts.This would end this drama!

Since when does a former pastor own a church? Rev Atiyeh's debts are not the churches debt.