A man given the unkind nickname of “squatter bishop” by an Arkansas church has refused to leave the building where he held services for four years after the landlord doubled his rent.
Bishop Earnest Smith preaches in a chapel that has served the Crossett community for more than 100 years as of 2019.
That year, leaders of what was known as Allen Temple CME were forced to close the church while they waited for a new pastor.
They allege that Smith – who was preaching from his home at the time – asked leaders if he could rent the building.
Trustees of the old congregation say Smith has refused to give up and has changed the locks on the church, where he has changed the name to Temple of Faith Ministries.
Bishop Earnest Smith, unkindly nicknamed “squatter bishop” at an Arkansas church, refuses to leave the building where he held services for four years after the landlord doubled his rent
Temple member Rekandria Leach claims Smith rented the temple for $200 a year for the first year and then doubled it to $400, but when the time came, Smith said he didn’t want to sign a new lease.
The bishop addressed the controversy, which made local and national headlines, in his Sunday service, saying he is “not afraid” of his opponents. As his congregants cheered, he added that he “did nothing wrong.”
“No matter what the enemy throws at me, I am on my way back…in life we must understand that we will go through some trials and tribulations. The Lord does not tell us how we will go through those trials and tribulations,” he said.
“We’ve all been through things in life, we’ve been accused of some things… we’ve been accused of some things in life, the difference between you and me is I was put on national television.”
Smith states that the church’s secretary, Faye Pam, told him he would get the building upon completion of the temporary lease agreement.
“She said, ‘We’re probably going to give you the building because we’re not going to use the building.’ She said, ‘Because I know you.’ I said okay.’ I said, ‘Thanks,’ I got really excited,” Smith said KATV.
‘We have paid. We have never been squatters. We paid all this money to her, and we have proof that we paid the money to her,” he added.
Smith also claims that the payments he made were not a lease, but merely to cover insurance costs.
Smith claims he did nothing wrong and kept the agreement he had with the church secretary
Bishop Earnest Smith has been preaching since 2019 in a chapel that has served the Crossett community for more than 100 years. That year, leaders of what was known as Allen Temple CME were forced to close the church while they waited for a new pastor.
Trustees of the old congregation say Smith has refused to give up and has changed the locks on the church, where he has changed the name to Temple of Faith Ministries
However, a representative from his church shared it Fox news that all claims about him were a lie, without addressing Smith’s story.
Pam’s daughter Leach says her elderly mother was taken advantage of.
‘My mother and the others were very nice to him. They bought shirt jackets. They bought him suits, you know, thinking they were doing the right thing. But today my opinion is that pastors are only in ministry for the money,” Leach said.
‘We don’t cause any problems. We just want our church back.”
Smith also states that the church technically has no owner, which curator Claudelle Smith – no relation – says is plainly incorrect.
‘What I hold in my hand here are the actions. Allen Temple CME Church, that’s what it’s all about,” Smith said. “Squatters come in and take over, and they get something for nothing if they don’t pay for it.”
Bishop Smith has spent his time running the church recruiting a new congregation, including Scott Adair, who says Smith is a decent man.
“I was introduced to the Pastor and immediately I started to feel love. It is a very unique love to want to see an opportunity in life and to want to be involved in the presence of the Lord,” Adair said.
The bishop addressed the controversy, which made local and national headlines, in his Sunday service, saying he is “not afraid” of his opponents. As his congregants cheered, he added that he “did nothing wrong.”
Smith states that the church’s secretary, Faye Pam, told him he would get the building upon completion of the temporary lease
Although he knew nothing about the dispute, it did not change his opinion of Smith.
“I can honestly say that this pastor and his wife and the people of this church love us and we don’t want to be redundant, but the Lord’s vision for Crossett is to salt and pepper a church where white and black people can come together and have true love. for each other and I see this happening here in this church and I’m happy to be a part of it,” he added.
Leach believes that Smith’s time is up and that they will eventually be returned to their original church.
‘It’s been going on too long. It’s time for him to go. We’ve had our locks changed many times, and he (comes) right back in and just (takes) over. He said he won’t leave. But you’ll go, Earnest Smith,” Leach said.
Smith, on the other hand, says he’s prepared for a fight and his lawyer tells him he’s well within his rights to continue preaching.
“The lawyer told me that since you’re there and you’re located, you can go in there,” he said. ‘Do I want to move? The flesh does that because I’m tired. But the spirit (keeps) telling me to fight this out.”
