After a long period of public silence about the defamation case brought against him and the Southern Baptist Convention North American Mission Board, Kevin Ezell sent a message to state Baptist convention executives May 10 offering “helpful information in case…
Open letter to NAMB trustees warns of dangers in NAMB’s defense of McRaney case
A group of 60 Southern Baptist leaders, including a former president of the Southern Baptist Executive Committee, has published an open letter warning of widespread dangers they see in a currently pending court case. At issue is Will McRaney’s case…
McRaney hearing explores whether there are any times courts may decide ‘religious’ matters
Imagine a Jewish family taking their eight-day-old boy to a mohel for circumcision and discovering the Jewish official is drunk and maims the child’s genitals. Would the family be able to sue the mohel and others involved in facilitating the…
Oral arguments in McRaney’s appeal set for April 4
A trial date has been set for Will McRaney’s appeal of a single judge’s dismissal of his defamation case against the Southern Baptist Convention North American Mission Board. McRaney and NAMB representatives have been summoned to New Orleans April 4…
NAMB hires a Presbyterian Calvinist to lead urban church planting
In a Facebook post dated Jan. 10, pastor and author Doug Logan Jr. announced his new role as director of urban church planter development for the Southern Baptist Convention North American Mission Board’s church planting initiative, the Send Network. BNG…
More Baptist leaders cite pattern of bullying from Ezell and NAMB
Bobby Gilstrap seemed to model what Southern Baptists would want in a denominational leader. Educated at two Southern Baptist Convention seminaries, he served as a pastor, then served 10 years as an associational director of missions in Michigan, where he…
Georgia Baptists were unable to pay retirees’ supplemental insurance but found $2 million ‘surplus’ to give to SBC
A state Baptist convention that has not been able to pay its retirees’ promised medical supplements for two years made a $2 million extra gift to the Southern Baptist Convention’s two missions agencies Nov. 14. That extra giving — $1.7…
Coalition of Baptist leaders will file amicus brief challenging NAMB’s view of First Amendment
Will McRaney’s legal case against the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board will take a dramatic turn this week as a group of state Baptist convention leaders, former NAMB employees and former denominational officials submit an amicus brief alleging NAMB…
McRaney to file appeal and keep his case against NAMB alive
Will McRaney will file an appeal asking for a federal court’s review of a single judge’s dismissal of his defamation case against the Southern Baptist Convention North American Mission Board. He and his wife, Sandy, announced the decision via a…
NAMB’s lies are worse than McLaurin’s, Will McRaney charges
A former Baptist executive who claims he was defamed by the leaders of a Southern Baptist Convention agency now says Baptists concerned about the fraudulent resume of Willie McLaurin should be more concerned about false witness offered under oath by…
McRaney warns dismissal of his case against NAMB raises urgent threat to Baptist autonomy
Unless challenged, one judge’s ruling could have profound implications for Baptist autonomy, according to Will McRaney, whose defamation suit against the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board was dismissed Aug. 15. “The judge’s ruling is built around the erroneous…
U.S. district judge dismisses McRaney’s case against NAMB
After years of wrangling, a United States District Court on Aug. 15 dismissed Will McRaney’s lawsuit against the Southern Baptist Convention North American Mission Board, claiming lack of subject matter jurisdiction. That means, in short, the court believes McRaney’s claims…