A preacher who went to prison for stealing millions of dollars from the National Baptist Convention USA has lost an election to lead the group again.

Henry Lyons tried suing to stall the election. He was forced out as president in 1999 after an investigation revealed he abused his power and stole about $4 million from the denomination.

A preacher who wants to resume leading the National Baptist Convention USA after serving a prison term for stealing millions of dollars from the denomination has asked a court to stop an upcoming presidential election, AP says.

The lawsuit is just the latest twist in a saga surrounding former St. Petersburg preacher Henry Lyons, who served nearly five years in state prison for swindling more than $5.2 million from the organization’s corporate partners.

According to the St. Petersburg Times a former board member said that when Lyons was president of the organization, he had its board of directors approve an amendment to stop members from suing the convention.

The Rev. Henry Lyons, wildly popular before his conviction and still highly regarded by many now, was released from prison in November 2003. He and two other ministers are vying to head the Florida General Baptist Convention, a chapter of the National Baptist Convention USA, which claims to represent some 7.5 million members of black churches nationwide.

LAKELAND -- At 6 a.m. Sunday, the Rev. Henry J. Lyons walked out of a minimum-security state prison in Polk County, exhaled deeply and said, "Thank you, Jesus."