Woman Arrested In Bible Thumping Of Baptist Pastor

JULY 5--A 64-year-old woman is facing an assault charge after allegedly striking a pastor in the head with a Bible during a dispute inside a Baptist church in Tennessee.

Cops busted Ina Garrett for the alleged Bible thumping of Rev. Leon Taylor, who heads the Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Selmer (pop. 4396), a city 100 miles east of Memphis.

Garrett, pictured at right, was scheduled to appear today in General Sessions Court in connection with the misdemeanor criminal count.

According to a court complaint, McNairy County Sheriff’s Department deputies were summoned to the church in late-May to deal with a “lady that was unwanted.” Taylor told investigators that Garrett had been voted out of the church.

During the church confrontation, “Ms. Garrett took her Bible and threw it at Mr. Taylor hitting him in the face.” Taylor then took a swing at Garrett, but did not make contact.

After a brief detour to a local hospital, Garrett was transported by a sheriff’s deputy to the county jail, where she was charged with “assault on the preacher Mr. Taylor.” In a TV interview, Garrett copped to striking Taylor in the head. “He’s got the demon in him,” she explained. (1 page)