Newspaper Article

Swarthmoreans decide to drum out Drummond
By Bill Alnor
Delaware County Daily Times September 14, 1988

SWARTHMORE -The attorney for the controversial Church of Our Saviour in Concordville says a deal is a deal, and that the church will seek to continue renting
the Swarthmore Community Center to hold Sunday services.

But community center board -President Myrv DeLapp said the sect will not be allowed to hold services at the site this coming Sunday.

"They don't have a lease," DeLapp said.

The board of the Swarthmore College owned community center voted unanimously Monday against allowing the church, which is run by the Rev Frederick Drummond, a self-proclaimed "father apostle," to rent the facility. Community center officials last week said they entered into the agreement with church officials not realizing a connection with Drummond.

Drummond, a native of South Africa, and his church have been surrounded by controversy for the past decade due to recurring reports of abusive leadership and financial problems.

Church: attorney Bruce Rodger said that the key to the dispute is a contract, signed Sept. 4 by community center official Dan Celia, renting the facility to Drummond's church from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays from Sept 4 to March 5, 1989, and from 9 a m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays from Oct. 16 to March 5, 1989. Rental charges were $40 for morning services and $120 for the evening, he said.

But the Community Center is arguing that the church withdrew the lease at a meeting last Thursday and that perhaps Celia did not have the full authorization from the board to rent the facilities.

"Whether or not he was authorized to do what he did, there's an agreement to use the facilities," Rodger said, adding that he was uncertain if the dispute would lead to legal action.