WEST PARK, Fla. — The House of God Church in West Park is up for sale, but the leaders of the church didn’t tell church members before the house of worship was placed on the market.

Most of the founders listed on the original sign at the church, some 60-plus years ago, are no longer with us.

“We were working for $1.25 but yet we worked hard, we sacrificed, we struggled to get this, to build this on our own,” said Jerry Hicks. “And then all the sudden I get a knife stuck on my back saying we’re going to sell, get out.”

It was last month when Hicks and fellow church members were caught by surprise on a Sunday morning.

Their church was one of several in South Florida put up for sale by the organization behind their network of affiliate churches based in Tennessee.

Now, Hicks and his family are suing to stop it.

“It’s more so not just an issue of ownership, but more so an issue of who has the ability to transfer title,” said Hicks family attorney Carl D. Berry. “Because they’re affiliated with a larger organization that was out of state, the organization House of God with a very long name, Keith Dominion believes that they have the right to control all of these properties.”

The lawsuit also accuses the House of God Church Network Trial Bishop and Chief Overseer Clary Butler Sr. and Clary Butler Jr. of elder abuse by deceiving church members in West Park.

“It hurts, it really hurts,” said Hicks. “Sometimes at night I can’t sleep. I’m up at 3, 4 o’clock at night.”

For now, Hicks is trying to find comfort in the word. He’s an octogenarian who reads scripture off his phone.

The House of God sent Local 10 News a statement in response to the lawsuit, which read, in part:

“A few local parishioners oppose the Church’s progress, which includes plans to develop and construct a first class complex to promote prayer…they have instituted meritless litigation to create a cloud on title to property that the Church owns.”

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