Newspaper Article

Mystery Church Got Good Real Estate Deal
By Jim Nicholson and Barbara Ormsby
The News Journal 1979

Dr. Frederick A. Drummond, leader of the First Baptist Church of Concordville, has had his church-called "a cult group" and himself described as "a magnetic personality who has a powerful hold on his followers. But apparently Drummond has a hold on more than his followers, for his church has bought a $495,00 orphanage in this western Delaware County town for just $5,000 down and almost, unheard-of liberal payment terms.

THE BAPTIST fundamentalist group, which emigrated here from Springfield, Mo., with leader Drummond almost three years ago, bought the Dante Orphanage. and its 25-acre grounds on Baltimore Pike and Thornton Rd. soon after it arrived. In recent days; it has become the focus of debate and controversy.
The church has tried to keep its activities - especially its financial dealings - secret. But it has been learned that:

The church bought the $495,000 property for $5,000 down and no payments for the first three years except the 9-percent interest.
The church's corporate adjunct, Pennsylvania Baptist Bible School Inc. - a "college" to train ministers and missionaries - is not registered to do business in this state.
The corporation is not listed with the IRS as a nonprofit corporation, nor is it incorporated in Pennsylvania.
The elementary and secondary schools are not registered with the state, as required by law, nor are they accredited.
There have been no state safety inspections at the school since it began, and the state wasn't even aware the school existed.

The grand lodge of the Sons of Italy holds the mortgage on the orphanage and Frank J. Montemuro Jr., administrative judge of Philadelphia Family Court, was one of the trustees for the Sons of Italy when the sale was made.

Montemuro said last week that "when they wanted the place it was like a gift from heaven. That is what you call a special use facility. Realtors' drawers are full of listings for places that are hard to convert to something else. They seemed like fine people."

MONTEMURO SAID the church group had been prompt in its payments. But this was not the case in Springfield, Mo. Bill collectors were hard on the church's heels when it came East. The church bought the Concordville property on Sept. 10, 1976.

Montemuro expressed surprise that the buildings are being used as dormitories. There are still dormitory facilities on the property left from when the facility was an orphanage.

But Montemuro was not the only one surprised.

Arthur Noe, regional supervisor in Philadelphia for the Bureau of Occupational and Industrial Safety of the state Department of Labor and Industry, was not aware there was a school operating there.

WHEN ASKED about the last inspection of the church facilities, Noe said, "I cannot recall anything like that (an inspection) being done." Noe's department didn't learn of the school because the school didn't register with the Department of Education as is required of nonpublic, nonlicensed schools. Noe's department gets its inspection lists from the Education Department.

The school operated by the First Baptist Church of Concordville has grades kindergarten through 12 and is called the Christian Heritage Academy.
Last December, members of Drummond's congregation charged him with misconduct. When he refused to give up his leadership role, some members left, and reports of a "commune, cult-like" atmosphere at the church/school began to surface.

THE CHURCH reportedly takes between one-third and 60 percent of the parishioners' paychecks and, in many cases, the entire check is signed over in return for "the church taking care of them." The church is believed to own a yacht, airplane and several luxury cars.

Drummond has steadfastly refused to meet with reporters and no one at the Concordville church will answer any questions.

Former followers of Drummond have told the Daily News that he "is a magnetic; personality who has a powerful hold on his followers. Without him, all of it would fall apart."

The 32-year-old Drummond is originally from South Africa. A spokesman for the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service said last week said, that Drummond was "'a lawful and permanent resident of the United States." He declined further comment citing privacy laws.