Pastor Arrested

This from the Chicago Tribune...
Some members of a Lutheran parish on Chicago's far South Side said they are outraged police arrested Rev. Jimmy McCants in the middle of his sermon.McCants, 54, has been the focus of a dispute between rival factions at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church.The church's board of directors told police the board fired McCants on Christmas Eve, and a woman affiliated with the church signed a complaint against him for trespassing on church property, said Chicago Police spokeswoman Monique Bond.But a Lutheran Church official said the board fired McCants without going through the proper steps to resolve disputes.``They have removed a pastor inappropriately,'' said Rev. William H. Ameiss, president of the Northern Illinois District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. ``The real tragedy is the ministry gets put on hold for a power struggle.''

McCants was not handcuffed when police led him out of the church Sunday. He was booked on a misdemeanor charge of criminal trespassing and released in lieu of $1,000 bond.``My church is the house of the Lord, and I had not committed a criminal act,'' McCants said. ``We're going to see what the lawyers say. I intend to go back next Sunday.''