Posted on 11/30/2003 4:53:36 PM PST by mhking
LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Rev. Henry J. Lyons walked out of prison Sunday morning and headed directly back to the pulpit, telling worshippers he had erred but that time behind bars helped renew his faith.
Lyons served nearly five years on grand theft and racketeering charges for using his former role as president of the National Baptist Convention to steal millions of dollars to finance his lavish lifestyle. The scheme fell apart after Lyons' wife set a fire at a home he had secretly bought with his mistress.
"I have suffered God's rod of correction," Lyons, 61, told the crowd crammed into First Baptist Institutional Church. "I stand here today to tell you I truly, truly, repented of my sins."
During the service, about two dozen ministers gathered around Lyons for a restoration ceremony. An old robe -- signifying the sins of the past -- was removed from him, and a new robe wrapped around him.
"Christianity is about forgiveness, about love. It's about assisting someone who has fallen," said the Rev. Alex Harper Sr., pastor of First Baptist.
Lyons' fall came after his wife, Deborah, set fire to a $700,000 waterfront home he co-owned with another woman, Bernice Edwards, in July 1997. Lyons and his wife divorced earlier this year; Edwards died in prison in May of natural causes.
Lyons, former pastor of Bethel Metropolitan Baptist Church, bilked $4 million from companies doing business with the National Baptist Convention, one of the nation's largest black church organizations.
Lyons will remain on probation for the next three years on federal charges of bank fraud and tax evasion, and still owes $2.5 million in restitution. He said he will meet with federal authorities Monday to work out payback terms.
"I have no idea how to do it," Lyons said. "I don't have any money. The attorneys have all the money. I have an agreement with God -- 'You make it available to me, and I have no problem paying it."'
Lyons said he hopes to meet with convention members in January, but has no plans to seek any leadership positions.
"I would love to go back to being a pastor, but I understand if I don't. I did an awful lot of counseling while in prison, so that is a possibility."
He is currently working for the Coney Funeral Home, which was part of his work release plan with the prison.
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Gee, that's quite a deal!
Feb. 11, 1998: F. Lee Baily joins Lyons' legal defense team.
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