The war of words between a 103 year old woman and her pastor has ended.
In a surprise move on Wednesday, Pastor Tim Maddox and his flock announced they would be leaving Union Grove Baptist Church and starting their own church. The decision comes after Pastor Maddox banned Mrs. Genora Hamm Biggs from the church last month for being critical of the pastor. She's been a member for more than 90 years, since she was 11.
Her banishment from her home church caught fire on social media and won national attention. Supporters of Pastor Maddox say Mrs. Biggs is not the sweet elderly woman you'd think saying she loud, disrespectful and called some members "stupid."
Maddox and his flock are leaving Union Grove and starting a new church in Elberton. It will be called Bethel Baptist Church.
Mrs. Biggs objected to some of the Pastor's preaching saying his style strayed from Baptist principles. She received a letter in August saying she was no longer welcome to worship there "for any reason whatsoever."
The dispute was surely headed to court because Mrs. Biggs and others contested Maddox and his control of court property. At a news conference on Wednesday in Athens, the "mother of the church" was handed the keys to the building.