Determined to continue the programs and services offered at the Mississippi Basketball and Athletics (MBA) Center, which is located at 3240 Westbrook Road, staffers and members gathered at a recent church service to protest the centers closing.
Organizers of the rally, which was held directly across the street from Word of Faith Church on Clinton, Blvd. in Jackson, said they’ve made numerous attempts to reach church officials to address their concerns about the closure of the facility that served more than 1,000 youth this summer alone.
“We want to give the ‘Bishop’ an opportunity to at least address this issue with us,” said Jannelle Griffin, former operations director for MBA. “He has not returned any of our calls, nor has he or anyone from his staff in Detroit acknowledged our many attempts to reach them via letters, faxes and emails.”
Griffin was referencing Bishop Keith Butler who is the presiding bishop that leads the international operations for the Word of Faith organization. Butler was in town last week and served as keynote speaker for Word of Faith-Jackson church anniversary celebration.
The Mississippi Link tried to reach Butler while in Jackson but was unsuccessful.
MBA closed Tuesday, Aug. 17, without word or warning to staffers or members. “I didn’t get a letter, a note or anything about closing the facility,” Griffin shared while holding her protest sign. “I didn’t know it was happening until they came to change the locks.”
ReJohnna Mitchell, a local attorney and parent of children that attended the center, said it was time to hold our preachers accountable. “Just like we hold elected officials accountable, we must begin to do the same thing with our preachers and spiritual leaders,” said Mitchell. “What about our children? I think it is time for preachers to start practicing what they preach.”
Mitchell, who also lives in the neighborhood where the center is located, said this was the wrong message to send to the children of this city. “When adults mess up and when adults don’t do the right thing, I think adults should solve their problems but not to the detriment of our children,” Mitchell said. “I also don’t want this building to become an eyesore in our community.”
The building, which is estimated to be worth nearly $2 million, was given to the Word of Faith Foundation by then Word of Faith Jackson pastor Bishop Kevin Wright. He left the Jackson congregation amid heated accusations that include alleged mismanagement of funds, sexual harassment charges and wrongly acquiring the MBA property.
Next week, The Mississippi Link will report its findings of alleged cover up at Word of Faith in a report titled “A Church Revealed.”
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