Alabama state champion coach and AD fired for being a member of the wrong church
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highs...on-coach-ad-fired-being-member-102348634.html
One of the most successful coaches in the state of Alabama is suddenly out of a job after he was dismissed for what initially seems to be a remarkably trivial reason: He attends the wrong church.
East Memorial Christian Academy, here playing in blue, is without its coach weeks before kickoff â BeRecruitedEast Memorial Christian Academy, here playing in blue, is without its coach weeks before kickoff â BeRecruited
As reported by the Montgomery Advertiser, Prattville (Ala.) East Memorial Christian Academy super coach Scott Phillips, who led the schoolâs football program to its first state playoff birth in years and coached the boys basketball team to the first state title in any sport, was dismissed because he refused to force his family to attend East Memorial Baptist Church.
While Phillips had never been forced to attend the schoolâs affiliated church when he was only a coach, that changed when he became the schoolâs athletic director. As confirmed by the Advertiser, East Memorial Christian Academyâs athletic director was expected to attend the East Memorial Baptist Church, even though there was allegedly not an official clause in the contract requiring such attendance.
Now former East Memorial Christian Academy coach Scott Phillips â USA Today/Montgomery AdvertiserNow former East Memorial Christian Academy coach Scott Phillips â USA Today/Montgomery Advertiser
Phillips tried to make that work, getting his family to start each Sunday at a 9 a.m. service at East Memorial before attending an 11 a.m. service at his familyâs church of choice, Church of the Highlands. Eventually that routine began to make Phillips feel dishonest, leading to a conversation with East Memorial officials where the coach and AD told them he didnât feel comfortable attending Sunday services at East Memorial Baptist.
That was the last conversation he would have as the schoolâs AD.
"I was 30 seconds from turning the job down because of the church issue," Phillips told the Advertiser. "They wanted me to transition from the Church of the Highlands to East Memorial. I never really liked that, so I went back in my administratorâs office and told them I was willing to give this a try, but I donât know how this will work out?
"That was the last thing said."
Phillips insists that he tried to shift his family from Church of the Highlands to Eastern Memorial Baptist, but said he never reached any level of comfort about the decision. Eventually, he had to deal with the situation head-on, hoping that Eastern Memorial officials would be reasonable about his faith.
That was apparently too much to ask.
"In a nutshell, I told them I miss my old church," Phillips recalls. "I went in to share my heart to a pastor. Knowing what might happen, but kind of saying, 'Maybe we can work something out?' I knew that wasnât going to be the end of it because it was going to be a process. It wasnât received well."
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highs...on-coach-ad-fired-being-member-102348634.html
One of the most successful coaches in the state of Alabama is suddenly out of a job after he was dismissed for what initially seems to be a remarkably trivial reason: He attends the wrong church.
East Memorial Christian Academy, here playing in blue, is without its coach weeks before kickoff â BeRecruitedEast Memorial Christian Academy, here playing in blue, is without its coach weeks before kickoff â BeRecruited
As reported by the Montgomery Advertiser, Prattville (Ala.) East Memorial Christian Academy super coach Scott Phillips, who led the schoolâs football program to its first state playoff birth in years and coached the boys basketball team to the first state title in any sport, was dismissed because he refused to force his family to attend East Memorial Baptist Church.
While Phillips had never been forced to attend the schoolâs affiliated church when he was only a coach, that changed when he became the schoolâs athletic director. As confirmed by the Advertiser, East Memorial Christian Academyâs athletic director was expected to attend the East Memorial Baptist Church, even though there was allegedly not an official clause in the contract requiring such attendance.
Now former East Memorial Christian Academy coach Scott Phillips â USA Today/Montgomery AdvertiserNow former East Memorial Christian Academy coach Scott Phillips â USA Today/Montgomery Advertiser
Phillips tried to make that work, getting his family to start each Sunday at a 9 a.m. service at East Memorial before attending an 11 a.m. service at his familyâs church of choice, Church of the Highlands. Eventually that routine began to make Phillips feel dishonest, leading to a conversation with East Memorial officials where the coach and AD told them he didnât feel comfortable attending Sunday services at East Memorial Baptist.
That was the last conversation he would have as the schoolâs AD.
"I was 30 seconds from turning the job down because of the church issue," Phillips told the Advertiser. "They wanted me to transition from the Church of the Highlands to East Memorial. I never really liked that, so I went back in my administratorâs office and told them I was willing to give this a try, but I donât know how this will work out?
"That was the last thing said."
Phillips insists that he tried to shift his family from Church of the Highlands to Eastern Memorial Baptist, but said he never reached any level of comfort about the decision. Eventually, he had to deal with the situation head-on, hoping that Eastern Memorial officials would be reasonable about his faith.
That was apparently too much to ask.
"In a nutshell, I told them I miss my old church," Phillips recalls. "I went in to share my heart to a pastor. Knowing what might happen, but kind of saying, 'Maybe we can work something out?' I knew that wasnât going to be the end of it because it was going to be a process. It wasnât received well."
