Editor’s note: this report was updated June 2 to add updated information.
Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina has undergone a shakeup in leadership in recent weeks after one official was accused of killing a neighbor’s dogs and another abruptly announced a leave of absence.
James David “Jim” Goldston III resigned May 21 as board of trustees chairman of the Baptist institution after he and his wife, Agnes, were arrested and charged with three felony counts of animal cruelty and one misdemeanor count of making threats, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office said.
Michael Blackwell
Later that week, BCH of North Carolina announced on social media that President Michael Blackwell was taking an indefinite leave of absence. No reason was given for the decision and an agency spokesman did not respond to a request for more information. On June 2, the children’s home stated on Facebook that Blackwell’s leave was “a separate matter” from Goldston’s situation, and instead was taken to support the integrity of an ongoing independent review of BCH finances.
According to authorities and media reports, Goldston, 71, and his wife, 73, were arrested May 11 after three dogs owned by a neighbor were poisoned, killing two. The Raleigh couple also are accused of making written threats against the neighbor’s young daughter.
WRAL News reported the dogs were poisoned after the neighbor received written threats and that the couple was known for poisoning squirrels with antifreeze. A letter shared with WRAL stated: “If one or both of these dogs put their paws on my property, I am going to blow their brains out.”
The couple was released after each posted $30,000 bond, according to the Raleigh News and Observer.
James Goldston’s departure from the BCH board followed a May 18 letter from the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina requesting his resignation, according to the Biblical Recorder, the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina’s official newspaper.
“We were encouraged to hear Mr. Goldston’s decision,” Seth Brown, director of convention relations, said in the Recorder report. “While we dare not prejudge the charges against him, we believe then and now that this was the best course of action for all our ministries.”
The newspaper also published the text of Goldston’s resignation.
“After more than 35 years of involvement with Baptist Children’s Homes of NC, and personally investing and helping raise millions of dollars to further this great ministry, I sadly hereby resign as a BCH trustee. My wife and I have been falsely accused of some horrible acts and I do not want this to be a distraction or hindrance to the work done on behalf of BCH as the truth plays out within the justice system. My wife, Agnes, and I covet your prayers for a resolution and our personal safety during this time. May God continue to bless Baptist Children’s Homes ministry.”
Shortly after his arrest, Goldston also resigned from the board of Saving Grace Animal Adoption in Wake Forest, a nonprofit founded and owned by his daughter, Molly Goldston.
“Although he did not have any direct interaction with the dogs at Saving Grace, James Goldston has voluntarily resigned, effective immediately, to avoid any distraction from the important work of the organization,” the organization said on Facebook May 13.
Baptist Children’s Homes’s initial social media announcement about Blackwell described the move as voluntary.
“On Friday, May 26, 2023, Michael C. Blackwell, president/CEO for the Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina informed the Executive Committee of the board of trustees that he would be taking a voluntary leave of absence for an indefinite period of time. In the interim, as outlined by BCH’s board-approved policies and procedures, Chief Operating Officer Keith Henry and Executive Vice President of Development and Communications Brenda Gray will assume the organization’s executive leadership responsibilities. As supporters and friends of the BCH ministry, we wanted you to be aware of this important information. Thank you for your continued support.”
The agency said its June 2 statement was posted “to provide additional context and avoid further confusion” about Blackwell’s leave of absence. “First, the May 21 resignation of former BCH board chair James Goldston, who stepped down so that his personal matters would not be a ‘distraction or hindrance’ to BCH’s mission, is a separate matter from Dr. Blackwell’s subsequent leave of absence. Second, in order to provide additional context and avoid further confusion, consistent with BCH’s policies, and in response to questions raised about accounting issues, BCH’s Executive Committee recently commissioned an independent financial review. We are grateful that Dr. Blackwell chose to take leave from his position to support the integrity of the review process.”
Baptist News Global has been unable to reach a BCH spokesperson for more information.
The Recorder said Blackwell, 81, led BCH for 40 years, making him its longest-tenured chief.
Founded in 1885, BCH is one of the largest residential child-care ministries in the South. It offers an array of services that also encompasses foster care and adoption service, ministries to families in crisis, senior adults and individuals with developmental disabilities.