CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (ABP) — Strong words from several Missouri Baptist Convention leaders during the convention's recent annual meeting highlighted a growing rift among conservatives in Missouri Baptist leadership.
The rift is between two groups — one loyal to the convention's executive director, David Clippard, and one loyal to Roger Moran, a political leader within the convention.
In a sermon to Missouri Baptists, former convention president Gerald Davidson called for an end to the Moran-led Missouri Baptist Laymen's Association, a powerful political group that helped conservatives gain power in the convention and now controls appointment to many leadership positions. Moran has feuded with Clippard for several months.
“Missouri Baptists do not need a political organization to dictate and build kingdoms and tear down leadership,” Davidson said. He also told the laymen's association to “quit thinking that you're the king-builders because you aren't. It's good to be concerned…but you can trust Missouri Baptists to do what's right.”
The rift first surfaced earlier in the year. The convention's Executive Board met in a closed-door session Sept. 22 in an apparent move by some detractors to oust executive director Clippard.
Clippard drew criticism for settling a harassment lawsuit filed against him by a former convention employee. And board members complained about Clippard's “autocratic” decisions, saying they are out of step with board majority. “We have leaders who think once they are in power they don't have to answer to anyone,” explained one leader.
Following September's day-long “unity and reconciliation meeting,” Executive Board members affirmed Clippard and Moran. But the dispute did not subside.
More recently, at the convention's October annual meeting, Moran's critics tried to place Davidson on the Executive Board, replacing a candidate offered by the nominating committee, which Moran chairs.
Moran opposed the replacement. After arguments pro and con, Davidson withdrew his name from consideration.
Later another former president made a motion that Moran not be re-elected to next year's nominating committee.
But Moran was not up for re-election because his term on the committee has not expired.
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