( CNN ) -- The daughter of the Rev . Martin Luther King Jr. has declined the post her father once held as president of the Atlanta-based Southern Christian Leadership Conference , saying she was interested in being more than a `` figurehead . '' The Rev . Bernice A . King was elected to the office in October 2009 , but never served as president as a string of legal battles divided the 53-year-old organization . Bernice King told CNN political contributor Roland Martin she made suggestions to the organization in October about how the presidency might operate . She said she felt `` disrespected '' because there was no formal communication until earlier this month . `` What they sent back was merely a job description that primarily spoke to a board-driven organization , '' King said . `` I was elected to lead the organization . I was frankly not interested in merely being a figurehead of the organization . '' `` I envisioned SCLC emerging as the vanguard for next-generation nonviolent activism in the tradition of my father , '' King said in a statement earlier Friday . `` Amidst the turmoil , chaos and confusion surrounding SCLC over the last 15 months , my team and I dedicated an exhaustive amount of time , energy and resources to assess the organization and prepare for my transition . '' The group 's national board of directors said King was shifting `` her attention to furthering her mother 's legacy and embark upon other ministry initiatives . `` We wish the best for Elder Bernice King , and pray for her great success as she moves forward , '' it said in a statement . A judge in Fulton County ( Georgia ) Superior Court ruled in September 2010 the current national board should be in charge , instead of another faction , although that decision is under appeal . Dr. Howard Creecy , acting president of the SCLC , told CNN that the board supported King 's right to make a `` quality decision . '' `` We never asked for the storms we had to pass through , '' he said , indicating the gap between King 's election and her taking the presidency was a `` lengthy period . '' The SCLC `` gave a voice '' to people affected by the Gulf oil spill disaster and remains concerned about the plight of the poor , Creecy said , adding that the group is `` restoring our credibility . '' Bernice King said she now plans to shift her attention to furthering the legacy of her mother , Coretta Scott King , and pursuing ministry initiatives . `` We would n't know Martin Luther King as we know him if it were not for all of her work . '' Coretta Scott King died in January 2006 , 38 years after her Nobel Peace Prize-winning husband was assassinated . The SCLC has seen a power struggle dating back about a decade , said Ralph Luker , a retired professor who specialized in the civil rights movement and has been an observer of the organization . Bernice King 's brother , Martin Luther King III , was president of the SCLC from 1997 to 2004 . They and sibling Dexter King had been locked in a bitter legal battle over their parents ' estates and rightful succession . The group , which has chapters and affiliates throughout the country , was a leading organization during the civil rights movement in the 1960s . Bernice King told Martin she wants to work with the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference on education , health care , immigration and other issues . `` Regardless of what institution , the work of my father will continue , '' she said . It 's now up to the SCLC to determine the proper leadership model , the minister told CNN . `` I will continue to pray for them to move forward in a positive direction , '' Bernice King said . Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr. , vice chairman of the SCLC , said the organization will move forward . `` She deserves the right to make her own assessment , '' he said of Bernice King . CNN 's Phil Gast contributed to this report .
NEW : Board wishes the Rev . Bernice A . King `` great success '' and a long life of service to her people in New York City She was elected to the office in October 2009 , but never served . The organization has seen a power struggle dating back about a decade .