How a Fayetteville church wants to memorialize its former pastor

Multiple members of Highway Holiness Church of Deliverance in Fayetteville, want to honor the church’s founder and pastor, Bishop James P. “J.P.” Swinson by renaming a local street

But Fayetteville City Council members were split down the middle during a vote Monday night to change the name.

Swinson died Dec. 21, 2020, and for the second time since his death, members of his congregation at 2725 Providence St. have sought to rename the street to JP Swinson Street. The road is a few streets away from the Murchison Road corridor.

The Fayetteville City Council first heard the request Dec. 12, 2022 and voted 6-3 to deny the request after two people spoke in opposition, City Planner Chester Green told council members Monday night.

Cumberland County, which handles addressing because of dispatching 911 calls, received another request this year to rename the street, Green said.

County staff found that renaming the street after Swinson does not duplicate any other street names and recommended the approval, he said.

Green told council members that 28 property owners abutting the area were contacted by county staff, with 13 responses received back.

Of the 13 responses, 12 were in favor of the name change and one opposed, but some of the responses received back were from individuals who owned multiple properties along Providence Street such as the church owning five properties and two people owning three properties each.

Before the vote, council members heard from eight church members supporting the change and three residents opposing it.

Church remembers late pastor

Minister Carlene Hampton said Fayetteville “has a long history of naming its streets after those who have had an impact on the city’s history and development.”

For 30 years, Hampton said, Swinson worked to improve Fayetteville and willingly performed weddings, baptisms, baby dedications and other ceremonies for free.

When Hurricane Katrina struck Mississippi in 2005, Hampton said, Swinson helped several impacted families relocate to Fayetteville, finding them food and lodging.

In Fayetteville, the pastor organized outreaches for food, clothes, toiletries, school supplies, blankets, toys and bikes, she said.

“My sincere prayer is that you will keep this man’s memory alive by renaming Providence Street to JP Swinson Street,” Hampton told council members.

Multiple church members described Swinson as a giver who helped church members and those who didn’t attend Highway Holiness Church of Deliverance.

“I had seen him give many vehicles away,” said Saresa Aiken, a minister at the church who knew Swinson for 34 years. “He had a fleet of mobile homes, and (if he saw) people that were in need, he gave them away … Every Wednesday he fed the homeless.”

Aiken said that at times, Swinson would also help people pay their utility bills.

Church member Vardry Aiken said that when Swinson founded the church in the late 1980s, the neighborhood it was in was crime-ridden.

“But they built the church over there and changed many people’s lives over there,” he said.

Vardy Aiken said Swinson was a “great man,” but a bad landlord because he never evicted someone from the trailer he owned in a Bragg Boulevard trailer park if they couldn’t pay rent.

“He’d give them another opportunity,” Aiken said.

Ruthie Toby, 82, said Swinson was her pastor for 25 years.

“He would make sure that you are taken care of before he is taken care of. He was a patient man who never was too busy to help anyone, and his motto was 'Follow peace with all men,'” Toby said.

Toby and fellow church member Deacon William Simmons said Swinson was also a lead chef at then-Fort Bragg for 37 years.

Simmons said a dining area on post known as Roscoe’s Grill is named after Swinson, bearing his nickname.

Church Elder Robert Wiggins said he had known Swinson for more than 20 years and often saw him organizing food and clothing outreaches.

“He would talk to you and help you no matter what your status in life,” Wiggins said.

Wiggins said Swinson was also a member of the Pastor's Coalition of Fayetteville and was a supporter and “influencer” for local radio station WIDU.

Speaking on behalf of the Swinson family, Swinson’s great-niece Marmeka Swinson said her uncle welcomed everyone at the church, whether they were family by blood or not.

“He loved each and every person the same,” she said. “He didn’t discriminate. Even though he will be missed, it will be an honor for the city that he served daily to change the street (name).”

Residents oppose change

While some residents in the area agreed that Swinson was a nice person, they said they could not support renaming the street because of the inconvenience it would cause.

Beverly Lusane said her parents have owned property in the 2700 block of Providence Street since 1973, where her nephew now lives.

Lusane said a change would cost her nephew to update his identification and cost the city to update its maps.

“I think there’s some other ways you can honor someone,” she said.

Lusane said that years ago city officials renamed a downtown post office after former Fayetteville Mayor J.L. Dawkins instead of changing Hay Street to Dawkins Street.

When leaders wanted to honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Lusane said, a loop and highway were named after him instead of changing Murchison Road’s name.

Lusane’s nephew John Hart also said he didn’t “want to be adversarial with the church,” but that he does not agree that some of its members who don’t live on Providence Street could get its name changed.

Vickie Moore, whose parents own three rental properties in the 2700 block of Providence Street, also said her family does not support the change and that her father has written a letter to say his tenants can’t afford the cost to replace their identification cards and address labels.

Council vote and what's next

Councilman D.J. Haire, whose district includes Providence Street, said at Monday's meeting after the public speakers that he could not support the change because of resident concerns and potential costs.

“This is probably one of the most difficult cases for me personally in a long time,” Haire said. “I love to try to support the community.”

Haire made a motion to deny the request, which was seconded by Mayor Pro-Tem Kathy Jensen and supported by council members Derrick Thompson, Lynne Greene and Malik Davis.

Mayor Mitch Colvin and Councilmembers Mario Benavente, Courtney Banks-McLaughlin, Deno Hondros, Brenda McNair voted against Haire’s motion.

Because the motion was 5-5, the vote did not carry the request for the name change.

Benavente said he would like for city staff to research costs associated with a name change to see if the city can help offset those costs

“If that’s the only barrier, can we overcome that barrier,” Benavente asked.

He made a motion that the council reconsider the request.

Greene asked if Haire would meet with church members to develop an alternate plan for honoring Swinson.

Haire made a motion to table the discussion and address it at a future meeting, which was unanimously approved.

Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville Council split on request to rename street after pastor