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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Federal judge lets lawsuit against NAMB proceed

By Will Hall, Message Editor ALEXANDRIA (LBM) — U.S. District Court Judge Glen H. Davidson, the senior jurist for the Northern District of Mississippi, Aberdeen Division, ruled Jan. 18, 2018, that a federal lawsuit against the North American Mission Board may proceed. Will McRaney, the former executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, filed a complaint April 7, 2017, alleging NAMB President Kevin Ezell played a role in his termination from the state convention, and subsequently in McRaney being “uninvited” from speaking at a conference in Mississippi. NAMB lawyers filed “answers and defenses” for the Southern Baptist Convention entity a little more than a month later, May 18, asserting 19 defenses. But the Court focused on NAMB’s claim of a “ministerial exception” and its invoking the “ecclesiastical abstention doctrine,” as well as NAMB’s questioning of “[w]hether McRaney has adequately pled his claims.” In denying NAMB’s motion with regard to the “ministerial exception” (which prevents a court from interfering in issues between a religious institution and its ministers) against McRaney’s assertion of defamation, Judge Davidson wrote that “McRaney was indisputably not employed by NAMB … and … [Read more...]

Are you a builder or a breaker?

By Greg Laurie I heard about a monk who joined a monastery and took a vow of silence, with the exception of being allowed to speak two words every year. After the first year passed, he was called into the abbot’s office to speak his two words. The monk said, “Bed’s hard.” Another year passed, and again he went to speak his two words before the abbot. The monk said, “Food’s cold.” Another year went by, and he appeared once again before the abbot. “You’re allowed your two words,” the abbot told him. “What are they?” The monk said, “I quit.” “It’s no wonder!” the abbot exclaimed. “Since you’ve been here, all you’ve done is complain!” That is true of some people. All they want to do is complain. My friend James Merritt says there are two kinds of people in this world: those who are born again, and those who are born against. Some people are simply contrary. Nothing pleases them. Nothing meets their standards. They actually like to go and make trouble in the lives of others. As Proverbs 4:16 says, evil people are restless unless they’re making trouble. They can’t even get a good night’s sleep unless they have made life miserable for someone. Zig Ziglar said, “Don’t be distracted by criticism. Remember, the only … [Read more...]