The U.S. Supreme Court has denied Will McRaney’s final effort to hold the Southern Baptist Convention North American Mission Board responsible for his 2015 firing as executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland and Delaware. In a legal battle…
Conservative lawyer warns of legal overreach by NAMB and SBC
Attacks on the Southern Baptist Convention North American Mission Board are coming not from the left or center but also from the far right, as evidenced by an article published online Feb. 11. The Center for Baptist Leadership — a…
52 Baptist leaders sign amicus brief supporting McRaney
Fifty-two current and former Southern Baptist leaders signed an amicus brief sent to the U.S. Supreme Court Feb. 9 arguing in favor of Will McRaney’s case against the Southern Baptist Convention North American Mission Board. The signatories represent at least…
McRaney takes one last run at NAMB in court
Will McRaney is taking one last stab at suing the Southern Baptist Convention North American Mission Board after a legal setback last fall. McRaney, who was fired as executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland and Delaware in 2015…
Fifth Circuit panel rules 2-1 in favor of NAMB and against McRaney
After 17 months of silence, a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled 2-1 against Will McRaney and in favor of the Southern Baptist Convention North American Mission Board. The Sept. 9 ruling is the…
Convicted for a murder he didn’t commit, Florida man preaches forgiveness
Leo Schofield Jr. served 36 years in the Florida prison system for a murder he maintains he didn’t commit, forgave the man who confessed to the killing of his wife and changed multiple lives in the process. “His is a…
Ezell writes state convention leaders to offer ‘helpful information’ on McRaney case
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…
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…
SBC Executive Committee files amicus brief supporting NAMB against Will McRaney
The Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention has weighed in with a legal brief defending the SBC North American Mission Board in a defamation lawsuit brought against NAMB by Will McRaney, former leader of the Baptist Convention of Maryland…