Community Corner

After Money Dispute, Members Are Locked Out of Woodstock Church

Worshipers at Welcome All Baptist Church in Woodstock were unable to celebrate Easter as they discovered they were locked out of their own church Sunday morning.

Worshipers at a Woodstock church arrived on Sunday morning eager to participate in an Easter service.

However, what they found were locked doors and, according to WSBTV, the man at the center of a longstanding dispute with the congregation was the perpetrator.

More than 20 members of the church told a WSB reporter that Willard Hambrick allegedly locked them out of the church and told them he would have them arrested if they set foot onto the church's property. 

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The church is located on Stell Road just south of Highway 92. 

Hambrick told WSB that he locked the people, the majority of whom were senior citizens, out of the place of worship because they had been removed from the church as members due to being "unbecoming Christians."

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This most recent dispute appears to be the latest in the congregation's battle with Hambrick that extends several months and is connected to the record flooding that hit Woodstock and Cherokee County in 2009. 

The church suffered extensive water and wind damage and church officials received money to make repairs.

However, one member of the church sued Hambrick three days after Christmas, contending he didn't tell his congregation about the bulk of the $46,000 he received to make repairs, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Members also told WSB they actually removed Hambrick from the role of pastor and instated another person to lead the church.

However, WSB reports that Hambrick contends he's still the pastor and, along with locking the church's doors, put a "No Trespassing" sign on the door.

Hambrick and the parties disputing his claim as leader of the church are scheduled to appear in court later this week to resolve the matter.

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