NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — The integrity of another prominent Southern Baptist pastor has been called into question by members of his megachurch — this one in the shadow of the Southern Baptist Convention's headquarters.
Local and national news agencies have reported a raging controversy over Jerry Sutton's leadership of Two Rivers Baptist Church in Nashville, Tenn. Like many recent tiffs in large Southern Baptist churches, the conflict features allegations of improper financial decisions, accusations of an unaccountable and autocratic pastor, and a website where aggrieved members publicize the controversy.
Sutton is pastor to many of the SBC's most powerful leaders and employees. The denomination's headquarters office, publishing arm, news outlet and related agencies are located in Nashville.
Sutton, a former SBC first vice president, finished third in a highly contentious 2006 SBC presidential election, despite the endorsement of major leaders of the SBC's conservative establishment.
Unlike other recent church fights involving prominent megachurch pastors, the Two Rivers conflict includes a dispute over a hastily called business meeting in which a majority of those present kicked out the church member who has been leading the charge against Sutton — despite the fact that he was one of the congregation's three legal trustees.
Among trustee Frank Harris's contentions were that Sutton inappropriately spent more than $4,000 of church funds on a wedding reception for his daughter, improperly met with representatives of a resort hotel who wanted to buy some of the church's property, and was autocratic and attempted to keep church members in the dark about his finances.
The congregation's deacons and personnel committee met July 15 to discuss the charges. The charges again were discussed July 28 in a churchwide question-and-answer session.
In a statement posted on the Two Rivers website Aug. 15, church officials attempted to refute the arguments. “After full review and discussion, it was unanimously determined by both the deacons and the human resource ministry team that the senior pastor had not committed any wrongdoing as claimed, and that there was no basis whatsoever to bring charges against, discipline or be concerned about the conduct of the senior pastor,” the statement said.
It said that the money for the reception had been approved by the church's budget committee because the event was open to all church members. It also noted the church is audited by an external firm once a year and that “no financial improprieties have been found at any time during” Sutton's 21-year tenure at Two Rivers.
The statement also said Sutton's dealings with the hotel owners had been proper and that a disputed church-paid trip he took to Italy and Israel was a legitimate mission endeavor and “not a vacation.”
The church voted July 8 to expel Harris from membership “for disruptive and abusive behavior,” but the action only added to the controversy. According to the church, more than 70 percent of those present voted in favor of removing him from the rolls. But the dissident camp contends the special business meeting where the vote was taken was not held with proper advance notice.
The statement did not address the dissident group's allegations that the church is in decline under Sutton's leadership. Although it claims a membership of 6,800, SBC records show that it had an average Sunday-morning worship attendance of only 1,573 last year. Just three years earlier, the figure was 1,932.