Second Baptist Church Leadership Isn’t Transparent, Group Claims
Jeremiah Counsel also pushed back against statements Pastor Ben Young made about the church’s governance and operating procedures. While noting that changes always lead to “pushback,” Young assured congregants that Second Baptist is “a very transparent church,” conducts a yearly independent audit, and has church members serve on committees.
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To challenge those assertions, Jeremiah Counsel asked why the church doesn’t reveal who’s on the Ministry Leadership Team (MLT), which Young described as a type of board. “The reason,” Jeremiah Counsel wrote, “is that the MLT is handpicked by the Senior Pastor and only he can nominate someone for the MLT.”
“They do not want you to know who is on the MLT,” the group continued. “As of the last known makeup of the MLT, all but one of the MLT members is either family to Pastor Ben Young or paid by the church. Family members and employees are far from independent!”
As for the annual audit that Young touted, Jeremiah Counsel said an outside firm might spot any fraud but “does not oversee any activities of the Senior Pastor of the MLT” and does not “set policy or compensation.” The group added:
The Finance committee, which is handpicked by the Senior Pastor, and is supposedly there to provide accountability, is not ALLOWED to see the audit. Only the internal business department and MLT see the result. And both the business department and MLT are controlled by either family members of Ben Young or employees of the church.
Accountability Is an ‘Illusion,’ Group Claims
Finally, Pastor Ben Young told Second Baptist congregants that members serve on finance, budget, and personnel committees. But Jeremiah Counsel said those individuals “serve at the sole discretion of the Senior Pastor and can be removed from their roles at any time, for any reason, so they are nothing but figureheads to provide the illusion of accountability.”
In the past year, Jeremiah Counsel claimed, people who have “questioned the ultimate power of Ben Young have been removed from their oversight role,” including an MLT member and the vice chair of the deacons. “The Senior Pastor, through his control of the MLT, has nearly unchecked powers and can remove anyone that does not agree with him,” the group wrote.
While addressing the lawsuit, Young told worshipers that opinions vary about church-governance issues. But he offered reassurance that Second Baptist Church leaders are serving “with deep care, excellence, and creativity as we seek to fulfill God’s call on this church to worship, walk, and win others to Christ.”
Attorney Erika Cole, who specializes in church issues, has described a trend toward revising bylaws to consolidate power among fewer people. As a result, church-related litigation is also on the upswing.
Cole expects that to continue, especially as church leadership ages. “There are fewer people going into ministry and more church leaders reaching a traditional retirement age,” she wrote. “I expect that areas and challenges around succession will continue to increase.” Although courts usually steer clear of faith-based conflicts, Cole said, they step in when bylaws aren’t “properly followed.”
Second Baptist Church is one of the largest churches in fellowship with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). According to SBC guidelines, each congregation is autonomous and “operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes.”
