Mt. Zion Baptist Church Pastor Bishop Joseph Walker's Accuser Amends Sex Lawsuit with More Details
Two former members filed lawsuits against the bishop but some things have changed with the two suits. In November, one lawsuit was dismissed and the attorney for the other plaintiff filed court documents to withdraw that suit, according to Examiner.com.
The Examiner's report states:
But the attorney for former church member Valencia Batson filed an amended lawsuit Monday that includes intimate details of her alleged sexual relationship with Walker, as well as accusations of financial misdeeds at the church.
“This is not over,” said Connie Allison, Batson’s attorney. “It is not going away.”
Monday’s filing is the latest twist in the lawsuit first filed by Batson in February. Her initial suit alleged that Walker used his position to sexually abuse her, but it included few details.
Court documents show Walker’s attorneys argued that Batson’s suit should be dismissed in part because of the lack of details.
In November, a judge dismissed a lawsuit by former Mt. Zion parishioner Corey Corbin — in part because the statute of limitations had expired. Corbin alleged a marriage-destroying affair between Walker and Corbin’s wife.
According to the complaint, Batson was recently divorced and struggling to get by as a single parent with three children. She claims that Walker said being close to him would bring her close to God.
Batson says Walker asked her, “Would you do anything for me?” and then asked her to perform a sex act in the church.
Batson alleges she and Walker had sex at Mt. Zion’s locations at 1112 Jefferson St. in Nashville and 7594 Old Hickory Blvd. in Whites Creek. She says she was coerced into group sexual encounters with Walker and other church leaders in his office, sometimes after Bible study.Batson's suit reveals some details as well about how the church was using funds to live a lavish lifestyle and how the funds were misappropriated.
The complaint also names Walker’s brother Jerry Luren White, overseer of financial affairs at Mt. Zion, and the Rev. Michael E. Williams, pastor of Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church in Nashville.
Williams was arrested and charged with soliciting a prostitute during a police sting Sept. 7. That case was dismissed Nov. 14.
The suit says leaders taught that those who didn’t donate to the church would be cursed.
As a sign of God’s favor, Walker allegedly purchased a Bentley with mink floor mats and said the car had been a gift from the Rev. Paul Morton, a denominational leader. Batson claims that donations from church members were used to enrich Walker and other church leaders.
Church leaders, the suit says, misled the congregation by saying Mt. Zion was paying off its debts. Property records show that it took out mortgages totaling $159,332 last month.Source
Williamson County property records show that Walker took out a $1.5 million loan to buy a new home in Brentwood in 2007, about the time he was urging church members to get out of debt by enrolling in Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University program.
