Walker County ministers and church leaders are sounding a warning in their area, and they want citizens to take heed. Electronic "charity" bingo (gambling) has invaded the county with "ravaging" effects and it needs to be stopped, said Jamie Lay, pastor of Oakman Central Baptist Church, Oakman.
Holding a March 13 press conference, Lay — president of Concerned Citizens for Christian Morality, a group of Walker County ministers — addressed a crowd of about 120 people.
"In our county, when tornadic weather is approaching, sirens go off all across Walker County," Lay said. "Tonight we hope for another siren to go off across this county to alert every citizen that lives within the districts of our county lines … to stand together against the newest predator of our families that has entered into our county."
A similar fight is happening at the opposite end of the state in Houston County.
Church leaders and businessmen there held a similar press conference in early March to fight a proposed 1,500-machine gambling facility planned for the upcoming Country Crossing entertainment development.
As their leaders similarly attempt to "regulate" electronic gambling, Houston County church leaders opposed to the gambling portion of the proposed Country Crossing development asked commissioners to rescind a vote allowing such a facility. Jerry Grandstaff, director of missions (DOM) for Columbia Baptist Association (which covers Houston County), said the pastors and church leaders in his area are not against the new development but they are against electronic gambling.
Both Houston and Walker county commissions have tried to pacify opponents of their electronic gambling plans.
In Walker County, commissioners have proposed new regulations for electronic gambling hall operators and the charities they support, which some anticipated would be adopted in a March 17 commission meeting despite the requests of numerous community residents.
According to the 12-page resolution, commissioners will require operators to have detailed business plans, facilities "dedicated solely to bingo (electronic gambling)" and "liability insurance equal to $1 million."
Yet the community’s religious leaders are calling for eradication of gambling, not regulation.
During the Walker County meeting, about 50 ministers were present and half of those said they had noticed an increase in needs requests such as help with electric bills and food.
Lucky Teague, DOM for Walker Baptist Association, said that he and the pastors in the association had been working for about a year. "As soon as we realized (what was happening), we sent letters to all levels of officials, from the commissioners to representatives to senators to the governor," he said.
"Paul said, ‘Shall we do evil that good may come?’" said Lee Taylor, pastor of First Baptist Church, Dora. "Charity bingo is gambling and gambling is sin. … In my opinion, to regulate charity bingo is to regulate sin." (Jennifer Davis Rash contributed)
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