Dissident Baptists Try to Oust Head Pastor
Some members of a prominent Southern Baptist church are collecting signatures to oust their head pastor on alleged charges of money misspending and poor pastoral care.
After a full review and discussion of the accusations, leaders at Two Rivers Baptist Church in Nashville already determined last month that the Rev. Jerry Sutton had not committed any wrong doing as claimed. But dissidents are currently circulating a petition calling for a meeting to vote on whether to remove Sutton.
"We have a fractured fellowship. Somehow, with the Lord's help, we need to put this church back together," Harry Jester, who's been in the congregation for 32 years, said at a church meeting July 28, according to The Associated Press.
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At the July meeting, members of the church addressed the accusations against Sutton, including charges that over $4,000 were used to pay for Sutton's daughter's wedding reception and a church-paid overseas trip.
After the meeting, a spokesman said all the concerns have been addressed and all Sutton's actions were authorized, according to The Tennessean.
According to a released statement by Two Rivers Baptist Church on Wednesday, no financial improprieties have been found at any time during Sutton's 21-year tenure; his trip to Italy and Israel was a mission trip and not a vacation; and allegations by one of Sutton's former administrative assistants that the senior pastor looked at pornography on his church computer and had an affair with a church staff member were deemed false.
The Deacons and Human Resource Ministry Team of the Nashville church, both of which are elected by the church membership, further concluded last month that there was no basis whatsoever to bring charges against, to discipline or to be concerned about the conduct of the senior pastor.
Church trustee Frank Harris, who has led the accusations and dissidence against Sutton, was expelled from membership last month by an overwhelming congregational vote because he was causing division in the church.
"It's OK to have disagreements. But Frank started taking his disagreements to and causing division in the (church) body," executive pastor Scott Hutchings told AP.
Sutton, who was nominated for president of the Southern Baptist Convention last year but lost to Frank Page, told Baptist Press that he is praying for reconciliation.
"Is reconciliation possible? Sure it is," Sutton told Baptist Press. "My prayer every day is, 'Lord, would you help me to know how to relate to people rightly?'
The group of dissidents listed on a website they launched major concerns over Sutton's leadership, including a steady decline in membership, lack of financial accountability, an authoritarian style, and rapid staff turnover.
Peggy Lewis, an active church member who wants Sutton removed, would not tell The Tennessean how many signatures are on the petition, which began circulating in July.
Worship attendance at Two Rivers Baptist Church last year was 1,573, a drop from 1,932 in 2003, as reported by AP. The church offers a traditional and a contemporary service on Sundays and Sutton believes the latter service may be part of what is driving the conflict in the church, according to BP. Still, he predicts attendance to rise to around 2,000 people within a year.
