( CNN ) -- Whenever someone has lived a solid and productive life , the pastor at his or her funeral may turn to Matthew 25:21 to offer a few words the good Lord may utter as the person 's spirit ascends to heaven : `` Well done , good and faithful servant ! '' In the pantheon of civil rights organizations , the Southern Christian Leadership Conference stands tall as one of the greatest groups ever to advance the cause of civil rights , helping bring the hatred and bigotry of Jim Crow to its knees . From its marches and protests to its negotiations with political and business leaders and its efficient work with other civil rights groups , the SCLC 's work has been legendary . Yet 55 years after its co-founding by the Rev . Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. , it is an organization that makes headlines today more for infighting among members and the revolving door that its top leadership positions have become -- all while crucial social justice issues continue to fester for African-Americans and others . Whether we want to admit it or not , the Southern Christian Leadership Conference has been devoid of a Christian spirit for a long time . It is leading nothing and doing nothing . The fact that I 'm writing these words may be painful to civil rights stalwarts ( and Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity brothers of mine ) like longtime activists the Rev . Joseph Lowery and the Rev . C.T . Vivian , but sometimes the truth hurts . On Monday , the SCLC is set to announce that former CEO Charles Steele is returning to helm the organization he served as president from 2004 to 2009 . In the four years since he left , the SCLC has gone through four leaders , including the Rev . Bernice King , who , in a strange debacle , was chosen as CEO in 2010 , but never assumed the post after a conflict with the board . Her cousin Isaac Farris , a nephew of Dr. King , was chosen to lead the group about a year ago , but he was replaced . In the past several years we have seen split factions among the board , leading to competing board meetings ; the doors to the headquarters being chained to keep others out ; even arguments at board meetings where some members nearly came to blows . This is nothing but drama , mess , childish antics or whatever you want to call it . It is a severe stain on the life and legacy of King and the many others who stood with him during the darkest hours . When your group is known more for fighting among its leaders than fighting racism , sexism and inequality , you serve no real purpose . One of Steele 's accomplishments when he took over the first time was building the organization a national headquarters that the group owned . He did so , debt-free -- but who cares about a building when an organization has no mission and no relevance ? Who really cares if the organization 's leaders proclaim a desire to be solvent when the SCLC has lost its soul ? I 've meet Charles Steele and we 've had many discussions . He 's an honorable man . But the issue here is n't who is the leader . Instead , it 's a group of people on the board of directors who are n't leading the group anywhere but further into the grave . I 'll be perfectly honest : The SCLC has been persona non grata on the media platforms I have that reach millions of African-Americans . Booking someone from the group on my Sunday morning news show on a black cable network , TV One , or my daily news segment on the Tom Joyner Morning Show , a syndicated radio show with a huge black audience , would be a waste of time . Why am I going to waste valuable time advancing the latest initiative from the SCLC when it 's likely to go nowhere due to constant infighting ? The list of issues the SCLC could be addressing is vast , from the scourge of inner-city violence that continues to take away another generation of black kids , to a high school dropout rate that is shameful . If the SCLC wants to get back to basics and play a crucial role in the 21st century , Steele is going to have to rid the group of the spirit of dissension that is running through its veins . He is going to have to show a new generation of pastors across the country that aligning with the SCLC has value other than raising their blood pressure . As a Christian , I desire the best outcome for the SCLC . But frankly , I have no faith that the organization has put its past drama behind it.. And until it can prove to me and others that it wants to be taken seriously , the SCLC will be just like the Congress for Racial Equality or the now-defunct Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee -- groups that had their glory days during a different era , and saw them end . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Roland Martin .
Roland Martin : Southern Christian Leadership Conference a towering civil rights group . But , he says , it 's been riven by infighting in recent years that has hurt its ability to do its work . He says incoming CEO is promising , but squabbling board of directors detracts . Martin : If new CEO wants SCLC to regain relevance , he must quell drama , move forward .