ELBERTON, Ga. — It’s hard to most to fathom that any one person could serve at the same church for an astounding 90 years. Most people don’t even life that long, not even close. But most people are not Genora Hamm Biggs.
However, Biggs, who is 103 years old, has been barred from attending a church that she has attended for nearly a century, the Union Grove Baptist Church in northeastern Georgia near the South Carolina border. Moreover, Biggs’ family were the founding members of the church she is no longer welcome at.
But Biggs, who began attending the church when she was 11 years old, was banned last month from attending after she disagreed with the church’s pastor over his preaching style, Fox affiliate WAGA-TV reported.
Biggs, who was the church’s secretary for more than 40 years, had the police escort her to the small, white church after Biggs decided to attend service anyway, according to the station. Since this is a civil matter between the church and Biggs, there is nothing law enforcement can do.
Biggs told the station that she and the current pastor of six years, Rev. Tim Mattox, have long sparred over his preaching style, which she characterizes as a “Holiness style” that she claims doesn’t belong in the Baptist church.
“At one point, he had a crew in here and they were hollering and falling out in the middle of the floor,” Biggs told the station. “We don’t do that in the Baptist Church.”
Biggs said tensions came to a head in early August when Mattox sent her a letter stating she could no longer attend church there “for any reason whatsoever,” the station reported.
“This letter is to inform you that according to the By-Laws of the Union Grove Baptist Church, and by vote of the active members, any membership or associations that you have had with this church are now officially revoked,” read the letter, dated Aug. 2.
Biggs, meanwhile, said nothing will stop her from attending the church.
“This is my church, I love this church, and he cannot stop me from going,” Biggs told the station.
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