When an all-volunteer personnel committee at First Baptist Church of Denton, Texas, voted 6-3 to fire Senior Pastor Jeff Williams, church leaders rejected the recommendation. Then they discredited the committee’s performance and didn’t nominate its members for continued service.
Deacon board chairman Larry Brewer said church leaders reviewed complaints against the pastor, talked to “dozens” of staff members, and then voted 41-3 to retain Williams. Brewer said deacons were handling the conflict with a “scriptural approach” and transparency.
According to the Denton Record-Chronicle, last year Williams faced formal complaints regarding angry outbursts, bullying, and “abusive or toxic behavior.” Current and former staff members, who requested anonymity, said the pastor’s troubling actions occurred during meetings, out of view of most church members.
Investigation Cited ‘Harassment’ by Pastor Jeff Williams
In the wake of complaints, First Baptist of Denton hired two independent organizations to investigate the church and Williams’ leadership. HR Ministry Solutions, which researched the complaints in June 2023, couldn’t show that the pastor created a hostile working environment based on employees’ age, race, or gender. But it noted that Williams’ actions amounted to “harassment in the form of a hostile work environment.”
HR Ministry Solutions said staff members have “either directly or indirectly” left First Baptist of Denton because of the pastor’s actions. Those actions qualify as abusive, the report explained, because of Williams’ “hostile, demeaning, intimidating, and bullying words and actions.” According to sources, the pastor retaliated against or threatened employees who complained about him to church leadership.
HR Ministry Solutions recommended leadership coaching, restorative dialogue, and an early retirement plan for Williams, 61. The church then hired Reclaim Leadership to review those recommendations and resolve the conflicts.
Church leaders briefly removed Williams from administrative duties but not from preaching. In a second tally, the personnel committee voted 5-4 in support of the pastor’s termination. Again, deacons supported Williams, preventing the committee’s recommendation from going to a congregational vote.
Church Staff Rated Personnel Committee Poorly
During a church business meeting last month, remaining members of the personnel committee were not renominated to serve. Explaining that decision, nominating committee spokesman Reed Hadley said staff members had rated the personnel committee’s performance as “shockingly low” and detrimental to the church’s health.
At the meeting, some congregants expressed hurt over what they viewed as a purge of faithful volunteers. “It is very hard when you want to serve, and you get these little daggers that zing into you,” said church council chair Jayme Richmond.
Other members expressed concerns that Williams wasn’t disciplined and that the “revolving door” of departing staff and congregants would continue.
