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Woman says pastor stopped her from coming to church after missing Sunday services without his permission Leonardo

Updated: June 28, 2018 at 1:32 pm EST  See Comments

Azoia Williams, a young Mississippi woman who says she attended Zion Chapel Church of God in Christ in Bolton “since birth,” claims she was kicked off the church’s membership roll by her former pastor this week for missing two Sundays without his permission.

David E. Johnson Sr., pastor of Zion Chapel Church of God in Christ, did not immediately respond to a request for comment when contacted by The Christian Post Tuesday.

In a post that went viral on Sunday, Williams, who was also not immediately available for comment when contacted by CP, shared a letter she alleges was sent by Johnson advising her that she would be dismissed as a member of the church if she failed to meet with him and the church’s board of trustees on Sunday.

“This correspondence is being written to express our concern about your absence from attending church services over the past several months. Please know that when you are absent you are truly missed,” the letter began before reminding Williams of church policy that warrants her name being purged from the membership roll for unexcused absences.

“‘A member who is absent from attending church services for two consecutive pastoral Sundays and fails to be present on the 2nd Sunday of the following month without being properly excused by the pastor will be terminated from the church membership roll,'” the letter said, quoting church policy.
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