Posted on | August 13, 2012
Pastor Walter McGill
The Tennessee pastor who was arrested last month for contempt of court was freed from a San Bernardino jail this weekend.
But he said members of his Creation Seventh-day Adventist denomination worship every Saturday – the Adventist Sabbath – in an “underground” church in the Inland Empire.
The Rev. Walter McGill served 30 days at the San Bernardino County Central Detention Center for contempt of court, as part of a six-year dispute with the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The church won a trademark infringement lawsuit against his denomination. McGill went to jail after he refused to obey a court order to stop using “Seventh-day Adventist Church” in the name of his congregation and denomination.
An associate, Lucan Chartier, served 10 days in the same jail and was released Aug. 9.
Chartier twice repainted Creation’s name on the denomination’s church in Guys, Tenn., after workers removed it under the court order. The denomination also has a church building in Uganda.
McGill declined to identify exactly where Creation members worship in the Inland area, because he said that, with the lawsuit, all could be at risk for legal action for being associated with the church. He said the several members travel from a range of locations to worship together on the Sabbath.
“We truly have what could be called a home church, an underground church,” he said.
“We want to formalize it, put up our sign and do what we did in Tennessee,” he added. “But later down the line, I’m sure the Seventh-day Adventist Church will attack us.”
McGill said he has discussed with members the implications of opening a formal church, including potential jail sentences and fines. McGill said Creation members in Southern California are praying as to what to do.
“I want for God to tell them what to do,” he said.
“What I suffered in jail, not everyone is willing to do,” McGill said. “This is my occupation. God has called me for this purpose. God has not called everyone to do this.”
The worldwide church has said its lawsuit was filed because when people see a congregation with “Seventh-day Adventist Church” in the name, they may believe it is affiliated with the worldwide Adventist Church.
A statement released by the North American Adventist Church last month said it does not want to close down McGill’s church. But it said that the use of the Adventist name “confuses the public, media and at times our own members.”
McGill, 66, has been on a liquid-only fast since he was jailed July 13. He said his weight dropped from 170 to 153 pounds.
“I intend to extend the fast 10 additional days for a total of 40, emulating the wilderness fast of my Lord and Savior,” McGill said.
McGill blamed the worldwide church for his jail sentence. The contempt order stemmed from church attorneys’ requests before the court, he said.
“It was truly the Seventh-day Adventist Church that required my incarceration,” he said.
In a statement emailed to me Monday afternoon, the church responded, “The Seventh-day Adventist Church has no interest in seeing Mr. McGill or his associates in jail nor is the church responsible for Mr. McGill’s disposition toward the court. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has neither legislative or judicial authority in that it neither makes or enforces the law. It grieves the church to see any person or group act in opposition of the law and be forced to suffer the penalty of their own actions. Our prayers will be with Mr. McGill.”
McGill said he was ridiculed by some inmates while in jail when he shared his beliefs. He also said another inmate struck him twice in the face – once with a slap, the other time with the bony area between the wrist and hand — when he declined to clean the bathroom on the Sabbath. He said he earlier had told his assailant he would clean any day but a Saturday.
Sgt. Derek Garvin, of the detention center, confirmed there was an incident and the other inmate was moved to a section of the jail for those with discipline problems. The inmate was punished with reduced privileges, including less recreation time and no television, Garvin said.
A battery report was filed, but McGill declined to prosecute, Garvin said.
McGill said that he didn’t want the man to be punished at all.
“Our Savior told us to turn the other cheek, and I did that,” he said. “I feel no animosity toward the man. I didn’t want the man to suffer.”
McGill said the lawsuit and his jailing have backfired because they have given his denomination unprecedented exposure.
“We are having record hits on our websites,” he said. “We are being overrun by phone calls and emails.”
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