The Miami Times

Letter To The Editor

Dear Editor Reeves:

Kindly allow me space in your interesting paper to call attention to a matter which I think Miami in general should know.

While Mrs. Irene G. Pratt Bingham, who for many years has held the position of clerk at Mt. Olivette Baptist Church, was out of the city attending the National Baptist Convention in Chicago, Illinois, the pastor of the church, the Rev. I. C. Mickens, called a special meeting of a small group of the members over which he exerts considerable influence, and recommended that Mrs. Bingham be removed from the position of clerk. The action was taken by this small group and when Mrs. Bingham returned to the city she was no longer clerk of Mt. Olivette Baptist Church.

Mrs. Bingham was largely responsible for Rev. Mickens' becoming pastor of this church. It was she who nominated him to the position to succeed her late father, the Rev. S. A. Sampson, who founded and pastored the church until his death. A large portion of the active members of the church deem this a very unfair action on the part of the pastor. I also learned that this was his third attempt to remove her from her position as clerk. The other two attempts failed. But this last one, taken in her absence, succeeded only because an obvious advantage was taken of her, since she was not present to defend herself on any charges made against her. I thought this matter should be brought to the attention of this community.

Very truly yours,
A Member of Mt. Olivette Baptist Church