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…
NAMB wants to exclude damning testimony from upcoming trial
The Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board wants to exclude from evidence in an upcoming trial the testimony of eight witnesses along with a controversial amicus brief that portrayed the SBC as a connectional hierarchy. The July 28 motions…
Key witness offers damning testimony against Ezell as NAMB gets McRaney trial delayed two months
Depositions are currently under way for the upcoming trial against the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board based on allegations by plaintiff Will McRaney — and at least one deposition includes harsh allegations against NAMB President Kevin Ezell. In…
McRaney wins two procedural moves in case against NAMB
Will McRaney last week won two procedural moves in his lawsuit against the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board. After years of legal delays — including a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court — the case finally appears headed…
McRaney trial finally gets a date, and NAMB is compelled to expand the scope of its documentation
After five years of legal wrangling, a new date has been set for the case brought by Will McRaney against the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board. And that date, ironically, falls the week before the SBC annual meeting….
Separate filings accuse two SBC agencies of misleading courts to delay trial and avoid scrutiny
It hasn’t been a good week for Southern Baptist Convention entities defending themselves against lawsuits. Court filings in the two most prominent such cases have accused SBC leadership of intentionally misleading the court and, in one case, committing perjury. The…
Seven years later, Will McRaney might get his day in court against NAMB — maybe
Seven years after he was fired as the leader of a Baptist state convention, Will McRaney may finally get his day in court against the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board. After years of legal wrangling, a new trial…
Anonymous group calls for more transparency from SBC’s North American Mission Board
A group that has been dogging the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board for alleged abuses launched a new “whistleblower” website Feb. 7. The site includes links to previous articles and new content created by a group called Reform…