Fresh Loaf

Creative Loafing CEO Ben Eason

1. CL CEO keeps company (Creative Loafing Inc.’s biggest creditor fails in its efforts to take over the six-newspaper chain, and CL’s bankruptcy saga continues.)

2. Earl Paulk, DeKalb’s frisky “bishop,” to be laid to rest (The charismatic leader of a 12,000-congregant mega-church was repeatedly accused of sexual misconduct, all but obliterating his legacy.)

3. Mayor’s race begins in earnest at witching hour Friday (Upon the official end of the ‘09 legislative session, campaign season for local pols kicked into high gear.)

4. Georgia’s Confederate History Month, the idea that will not die (Misguided lawmakers push for a 30-day holiday that much of rural Georgia already celebrates 365 days a year.)

5. It’s official: Borders is off and running (After dropping out of the mayoral race to care for her ailing parents, City Council Prez Lisa Borders is back in.)

Bookmark It

For many years, one of the most interesting running scandals in metro Atlanta was the saga of the Chapel Hill Harvester mega-church and the many, many female parishioners who’d accused the Paulk family patriachs of various acts of sexual misconduct.

The monstrous Cathedral of Holy Spirit, as seen by Google Earth

Sadly, for us mega-church skeptics, those stories likely have come to an end with the death of “Bishop” Earl Paulk at 81. A funeral is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday in the since-renamed Cathedral of the Holy Spirit on Flat Shoals Road in South DeKalb.

Paulk got the boot from his first pastoring position, at what is now Mount Paran Church of God, back in 1960 for having an extramarital affair. But, like a latter-day Elmer Gantry, he didn’t let that scandal deter him. A few years later, he founded Chapel Hill Harvester Church with his brother Don. The church eventually grew to a membership of around 12,000, but allegations of sexual shenanigans continued to dog the Paulks. (more…)

Bookmark It

— Jay Bookman = Priceless. Ah, those wacky Gwinnett Republicans.

— Tondee’s Tavern notes that the Macon Telegraph has endorsed Dale Cardwell for the U.S. Senate in the Democratic primary. This comes on the heels of Obama’s smackdown of Vernon Jones yesterday for printing up photo-shopped fliers that imply Obama has endorsed Mr. CEO-who-voted-for-Bush-twice. Says Obama: I barely know that dude.

– Our pal, the Shelbinator, has produced a video for MTV2 that focuses on ex-Marine Chris Raissi of Macon. Raissi talks about the pressures he faced as a Marine recruiter to convince people to join the military. The three-part video is posted on his web site.

— Over at Live Apartment Fire, Doug Richards gives props to WAGA-TV’s Dale Russell for his secret video of disgraced preacher Earl Paulk. Russell has a long relationship with Paulk’s former secretary, Mona Brewer. And when Paulk reached out to Brewer for a “peace” meeting at a local restaurant, she called the I-Team. Russell wired her up with sound and videoed the meeting from outside.

— The AJC’s Sekou Smith says the Hawks were saved by Elton Brand, the free agent power forward signed by Philadelphia yesterday. Why? It means the 76ers won’t be going after our own Josh Smith. That leaves the Hawks sitting pretty to re-sign their two free agents: Smith and Josh Childress. And Hawks fans everywhere breathe a sigh of relief.

Bookmark It