Court Order Returns Baptist Property To Original Owner Over Failure To Have Trustees’ Vote Confirmed By Messengers At Convention

Editor’s Note:  Kirk and Susie Tompkins are  the plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed against Lifeway over the sale of the Glorietta Conference Center.  He has shared this information regarding a similar type lawsuit over the sale of a Baptist property in Missouri.  Might this serve as precedence for his case against Lifeway?  What might the implications be of The Tompkin’s lawsuit given this recent court order?
The Tompkins’ are asserting that LifeWay Christian Resources misrepresented facts and withheld information to defraud property owners of fair value for homes built on leased land at the encampment.

Though the original lawsuit was thrown out, a renewed lawsuit has been filed in New Mexico.

This is an issue of trust and openness between the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), it’s entities, and the fourteen plus million members that comprise the SBC.

By: Kirk Tompkins
Little Rock, Arkansas

October 10, 2017 — The Glorieta Conference Center ‘litigation’ is about one family making a Christian Stand for 100 families and churches owning 65 residences and lodges who were paid “zero dollars” by LifeWay according to a 10th Court transcription. This same court transcription records the judge questioned why LifeWay was without any “feelings of moral responsibility’.

 According to the September 27, 2017 86-page opinion by Missouri Court Judge DeMarce, failure of Baptist entities to follow their charters in compliance with annual convention messengers vote violates state law. LifeWay Trustees just as the Missouri Baptist Trustees in the referenced case, “rubber Stamped” their approval to sell Glorieta, and subsequently trustees approved the sale of LifeWay managed Downtown Nashville real estate. Question, was it theirs to sell when the acquisition and expansions were paid for by SBC members? According to Judge DeMarce, state law requires the Messengers at annual Baptist Convention meetings vote to approve any change prompted by the entity executives and agreed to by trustees to follow the letter of the state law. The Baptist Bylaws, Constitution, and Charter covenants are legal documents. The SBC Constitution has a 2-consecutive convention vote requirement for assets/real-estate disposal. This was the major point in a Baptist Press article quoting Frank Page’s commentary about selling Executive Committee Downtown Nashville real estate, “taking the sale before SBC”.

 Internal discipline has not been forthcoming within SBC executives who have ignored years of letters,  and appeals to remove secrecy agreements and to publish executive annual compensation. LifeWay president Thom Rainer receives annual compensation approaching a million dollars a year in benefits that include royalties’ on LifeWay Research published in book form under Rainer’s name. Any controversy threatening disruption of the lucrative financial fortunes SBC executives have quietly built for themselves goes unanswered or referred to Executive Committee. SBC executives protect themselves from any discovery of their financial rewards claiming any inspection of their actions is prevented by “ecumenical immunity”, and of course “secrecy agreements” signed by trustees! “Ecumenical immunity” ENDS when violations of Charter/Constitution/Bylaws is proven!

LifeWay is alleged to have spent over $2 million in legal fees to prevent SBC membership from learning truth about their alleged state law and federal antitrust bid rigging violations in sales of Glorieta and Nashville. The Missouri lawsuit resulted in the real estate returned to its original entity owner. The New Mexico Court has not decided the ‘N.M. Lawsuit’ filed by former Glorieta homeowners who without a lawyer remain in litigation going into a 5th year. Neither Glorieta Conference Center nor Downtown Nashville real estate sales complied with state law addressing “SBC constitution, charter, and bylaw covenants”; requiring SBC annual meeting Messengers’ vote. Will Glorieta Conference Center and downtown Nashville real estate sales be overturned and these properties be returned to LifeWay by New Mexico Court as happened in Missouri Court?

Who has time for dispassionate analysis, for methodical research and a reading of the founding fathers of the SBC charter, bylaws, and constitution? Missouri Judge DeMarce found time in writing his 86-page opinion. Will a New Mexico Court come to a similar conclusion?

 “Judge DeMarce’s decision is encouraging, clear, and conclusive,” said John Yeats, MBC executive director. “Churches, conventions, and ministries across the country will benefit from these rulings.  In response to biblical principles, Missouri Baptists want to be faithful stewards of the ministries entrusted to us, which were grown with generations of Cooperative Program giving.”

 LifeWay executive’s game of “narrative fixing” is being exposed as truths continued to be revealed! Pray these executives come to their senses, and embrace truth. Luke15:17

 Emil J. Kiehne, lead counsel for Defendants* in the New Mexico lawsuit has withdrawn from the case. 

*Defendants’: LifeWay entity of $13.5 Billion SBC, millionaire Thom Rainer, Jerry Rhyne, Larry Cannon, Hal Hill, Trustee Linda Dean, Glorieta 2.0, Billionaire David Weekley of David Weekley Homes, Billionaires Terry Looper and Leonard Russo of Texon (propane supplier to Glorieta), Anthony Scott, Jeff Ward.