NATIONAL BRIEFING / TENNESSEE
A preacher who went to prison for stealing millions of dollars from one of the country’s largest Baptist denominations lost an election to lead the group again.
Delegates at the annual meeting of the National Baptist Convention USA voted in favor of the Rev. Julius R. Scruggs for president over the Rev. Henry Lyons, who unsuccessfully tried to challenge the fairness of the election in court. Scruggs received 4,108 votes to Lyons’ 924.
Lyons was forced out as president in 1999 after an investigation revealed he abused his power and stole about $4 million from the denomination. He served almost five years in prison.
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