NAMB loses again! Judge rejects motion to quash subpoena. However, the entire saga shows that NAMB & BCMD appear to be coordinating legal tricks to thwart justice.
On Wednesday, December 21, 2022, a federal judge ruled against the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware’s motion to quash a subpoena in the case of McRaney v. NAMB. The ruling was on highly technical grounds (that the motion was filed in the wrong court); however, the entire motion to quash showed what appears to be an odd legal trick where NAMB subpoenaed documents from BCMD, then when BCMD objected, it was joined by NAMB supporting the motion to quash.
If that sounds odd, it is because it is odd. McRaney’s lawyers noted in an earlier court filing that this looked like some type of coordinated dispute:
“Perhaps NAMB and BCMD coordinated to have their discovery “dispute” land in this Court, rather than elsewhere. There is evidence suggesting it.
“For example: · NAMB issued a subpoena demanding the production of documents outside Rule 45’s 100-mile limit, even though it easily could have called for production in Maryland, where BCMD is located, or in nearby Washington, DC (where NAMB’s counsel have an office); · BCMD strenuously resisted the subpoena, moving to quash (Doc. 37, 38) but neglected to raise this glaring defect in the subpoena; and · NAMB then joined BCMD’s motion to quash NAMB’s own subpoena (Doc. 45)”
You can hear the sarcasm. Note the quotation marks around “dispute.” And it does appear that NAMB and BCMD “coordinated” on this issue.
And there is even more evidence that NAMB has significant influence, perhaps undue influence on the Baptist Convention of Maryland & Delaware. The current Executive Director of BCMD Michael Crawford was hired in March 2022 to lead BCMD; and then Michael Crawford was named in October 2022 as a SEND Network VP. Note also that Crawford was the SEND Network Director for Maryland/Delaware when he was hired by BCMD.
And the close ties between BCMD and NAMB do not stop there. A past President of the General Mission Board of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, Frank Duncan is a NAMB Ambassador.
Here is an image of a letter obtained by the Capstone Report showing Duncan signing a letter showing his work for NAMB.
The General Mission Board (GMB) serves as a type of board for the convention much like trustees of SBC entities or other nonprofits. Duncan also served on the BCMD search committee that hired Crawford. And NAMB Ambassadors are typically well compensated by NAMB—for doing what nobody really knows other than being a loyal promoter of Kevin Ezell’s agenda.
So, if you are a Baptist church in the Baptist Convention of Maryland & Delaware, you might be wondering if Frank Duncan or Michael Crawford work for you or for Kevin Ezell. You would be right to ask that question.
Other questions you should ask include demanding to know how much NAMB is paying Michael Crawford and how much it is paying Frank Duncan. Further, how many other members of BCMD leadership are on the NAMB payroll?
Not to put too fine a point on it but BCMD hired a NAMB employee who then after being named to head the BCMD was promoted to be another NAMB VP and the hiring was overseen by a NAMB Ambassador who was recently President of the BCMD board of directors and on the search committee that recommended Crawford.
Is the BCMD independent or a wholly owned subsidiary of Kevin Ezell’s North American Mission Board?
And what other states are likewise infiltrated by paid agents of Kevin Ezell?
Here is today’s ruling rejecting the motion to quash: