The Church War of Jonesboro

The Church War of 1931 was a conflict in Jonesboro, Arkansas between followers of the fundamentalist evangelist Joe Jeffers and the Reverend Dow H. Heard, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Jonesboro.

Members of Jeffers' congregation also attacked the mayor and police chief, resulting in Governor Harvey Parnell calling out the Arkansas National Guard.

References

• John Plunkett, "Church Fight Brings Troops to Nip Riot", The New York Times, September 11, 1931, retrieved June 11th, 2006.
• "Battle of Jonesboro", Newsweek, September 21, 1931, retrieved June 11th, 2006.
• Jordan, Dusty. “Baptists Bring War to Jonesboro.” Craighead County Historical Quarterly 21 (Winter 1983): 1–9.
• Encyclopedia of Arkansas entry