The Rev. Al Gallmon, a prominent Minneapolis pastor and civic leader, will deliver his last sermon in town on Sunday.
Gallmon recently announced his resignation as senior pastor at Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church on the North Side, citing the recent death of his father and a need to be near his ailing mother. Gallmon and his wife, Wilma, are moving back to Tampa, Fla., next week.
"I have prayed about this decision and arrived at the conclusion that we need to be closer to our mothers," Gallmon, 55, said in a news release. "It was a very tough decision."
A communitywide celebration for Gallmon will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the church, 3355 N. 4th St.
For nearly 12 years Gallmon oversaw the growth of Fellowship while holding numerous civic positions, including a seat on the Minneapolis school board and the presidency of the Minneapolis NAACP.
Last year Gallmon won an award for helping improve the quality of life in north Minneapolis by Northway Community Trust. In 2006, he served on Mayor R.T. Rybak's police chief advisory committee that recommended current Chief Tim Dolan.
Gallmon came under scrutiny last year for spending irregularities. He admitted he used a church credit card to cover more than $18,500 in personal expenses and failed to promptly report another $62,000 in overcompensation due to an accounting mistake by the church.
He apologized publicly and agreed to repay the money. His congregation voted to retain him.
