NAMB claims in new legal brief that the SBC is the ‘Southern Baptist Church’
New trial date scheduled in explosive McRaney v. NAMB case
The North American Mission Board (NAMB) and its head Kevin Ezell continue to file false information with federal courts. Previously, Ezell and NAMB claimed absolute rights and privileges over state conventions. Also, NAMB claimed that a state convention is a Southern Baptist entity. And NAMB claimed it was The Southern Baptist Missions Agency (as you can see in the screenshot above.) Now they are back at it again by telling the court that The Southern Baptist Church is a thing. It is a clear attempt to deceive the court because there is no such thing as THE Southern Baptist Church. It is an attempt to manipulate the court into treating this case as if the Southern Baptist Convention (not Church) were the United Methodist Church or Roman Catholic Church.
On page 10 of document 171 in the McRaney v. NAMB case is this stunning footnote: “It is also difficult to see what these allegations have to do with the dispute between Plaintiff and NAMB, or how Plaintiff was personally harmed by this purported misconduct. Moreover, such alleged statements in a legal brief are protected by a judicial proceedings privilege and would not give rise to an independent tort claim by the Plaintiff. Even if Plaintiff’s allegations were correct (they are not), to hold that he has standing to bring a claim arising from these alleged misstatements in a legal brief filed by a third party would effectively invite every member of the Southern Baptist Church to sue NAMB for statements made in another entity’s brief.”
There is no Southern Baptist Church. Also, the Southern Baptist Convention does not have members.
You’d think the expensive lawyers paid for by tithes and offerings would know the Southern Baptist Church does not exist.
So, it would seem it is intentional. Someone should report the lawyers to the Bar—however, why didn’t NAMB leadership read this and say this is wrong?
What about NAMB trustees? Are they OK with all these public lies and this latest new attempt to deceive the court?
This isn’t the first time NAMB stayed silent. These liars did not correct the false legal filing from the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC). In that filing, Russell Moore’s ERLC outright lied and claims the SBC is a hierarchy with the national bodies having jurisdiction over the state and local Baptist groups.
Moore’s excuse was to blame the Catholic lawyers who wrote the brief.
Will state conventions and other SBC leaders speak out against the lies being told to federal courts? If the unsaved are watching, what must they think of all these liars leading the SBC?
In just the last few weeks, we learned NAMB engaged in ‘egregious misconduct’, according to court filings and that NAMB is ‘intentionally withholding’ documents, according to another court filing. Top all of that off with calling the SBC the Southern Baptist Church.
SBC leaders including more than a few Never Trump radicals decry the lax morals in Washington—but what about the no morals in Alpharetta?
New trial date set in McRaney v. NAMB case
The federal court set a new trial date in McRaney v. NAMB to allow both sides more time to collect evidence. Previously, the trial was set April 10, 2023. The new date is June 5, 2023—the week before the start of the SBC’s Annual Meeting.
New reporting uncovers evidence of NAMB’s efforts to harm McRaney
In an excellent bit of original reporting, The Baptist Message detailed never before revealed ways that Southern Baptists corroborate Kevin Ezell’s campaign to harm Will McRaney.
The Baptist Message reveals sworn statements from Scott Thomas, president of the Safari Christian Business Alliance, and Jimmy Crosby, president of the Jacksonville Baptist Theological Seminary in Florida, that detail how NAMB pressure kept them from hiring McRaney.
This report reveals not only the intent to harm McRaney, but these affidavits show that it did harm McRaney.
If you want to read the entire NAMB filing, it is below. The offending footnote is on page 10.