The 200-member Greater New Light Missionary Baptist Church worshipped with a spirit of resolve and unity Sunday as it prepared to decide today whether to fire its pastor and former state lawmaker, Ron Sailor Jr.

A special meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the southwest Atlanta church, where congregants are still reeling from their recent discovery that Sailor secretly took out a $250,00 mortgage on the 2540 Campbellton Road property just days before pleading guilty in federal court to money laundering.

Prayers and remarks from the pulpit hinted at concern that members remain united despite the revelations. The Rev. Roger Boyd told attendees that "one person don't stop no show."

"The church is going on ...," continued Boyd, an associate minister. "We need to stop pointing fingers at one another. We need to stay together."

The Rev. Tolton Pace, a Greater New Light associate minister who filled in for Sailor, touched on the issue indirectly with a sermon titled "Peace in the Storm."

After the service, most members who were approached refused to talk about the Sailor situation. Media questions were referred to the church's lawyers.

The Rev. Armentris Davis was an exception.

"We had a beautiful service this morning," Davis said. "God will take care of us."

Longtime member Anthony Morris was equally optimistic.

"It's just one of those unfortunate things to happen," Morris said. "We're going to stay strong and move forward."

Greater New Light Baptist leaders have launched an internal investigation into what happened, where the money went and the status of the debt. A church trustee reportedly reviewed records and uncovered the mortgage after reading an Atlanta Journal-Constitution story regarding more than $80,000 Sailor accepted from a lobbyist in a land transaction.

The security deed connected to the secret mortgage was filed March 12 in Fulton County Superior Court.

Sailor, who has a master's degree in divinity from Howard University, has been Greater New Light's pastor for about a year. Jimmie Evans, deacon board chairman, previously described him as a "good" speaker and pastor.

But for much of that time, Sailor apparently kept his legal troubles hidden from his congregation.

On March 18, he pleaded guilty in federal court to money laundering for a person he thought was a drug dealer, but who was instead a government undercover agent. Sailor has since resigned his legislative post representing parts of DeKalb and Rockdale counties.

A May 13 election is scheduled to fill his seat.