Rev. Arthur Allen, of Atlanta’s House of Prayer, died in a house fire Monday. Rev Allen, was widely known for his run-ins with the law because he oversaw and ordered whippings of misbehaving children during worship. According to reports, Allen was identified by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office. Atlanta Fire Department officials say there is an ongoing investigation into the fire.
Allen’s insistence on using the belt to correct unruly children sparked a blaze of publicity. Within a week, he went from being the pastor of a nondenominational church in a poor part ofAtlanta to a controversial figure in the national news. He appeared in People magazine, on Dateline NBC, and on the Sally Jesse Rafael show.
And corporal punishment wasn’t the only controversial stand he took. Allen also advocated marriage for 14-year-old girls to protect them from becoming unwed mothers, living in sin and going on welfare.
