Ezell/NAMB preceded Moore/ERLC’s Dangerous Lies to Deceive Federal Courts – Your Duties Demand Action for SBC and Truth
All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to do … The same is true for the destruction of truth, God’s favor, and SBC cooperative spirit and partnerships. I hate to say it, but I wrote you and others warned you too LONG before Moore and the ERLC embarrassed the SBC and Christians by deceiving 17 federal appellate justices in the second highest court of the land. I provided you several steps you could have taken, but public wrongs of Ezell’s false claims were met with too much apathy, indifference and silence. BUT, now you have been given another opportunity before a federal court ruling hits that will forever change the SBC.
Of all the serious matters before the SBC, there is none more your responsibility, stewardship and none more dangerous to the future of the SBC cooperative mission than what Ezell/NAMB has claimed in federal filings and is doing to the cooperative spirit, partnership, and trust among Southern Baptists. Several other issues may be screaming for attention, but those issues can wait and this cannot. It needs the full attention of the FULL Executive Committee.
For your consideration:
1. Out of the legal box, Ezell hid, would not meet, and had NAMB attorneys deceive the courts with false claims. This was prior to and similar to ERLC/Moore’s false claims in direct conflict with SBC governing documents and historic partnerships with churches, Associations and State Conventions. Ezell falsely claimed “absolute rights”, “absolute privileges” and falsely claimed it was a “Supporting Organization”, all of which creates a hierarchy just like Moore/ERLC claimed to the courts. NAMB is preparing to take those false claims to the Supreme Court and if not, their pending motion for summary judgement in District Court is that they got a “release” when I released the BCMD in my separation agreement (defense claims 4-7). REALLY? All state convention employees are giving NAMB a release when they sign separation agreements with their State Convention? Of course NOT. If NAMB has rights over State Conventions, they have rights over Associations and churches, because all three are partners of the SBC and it’s entities.
2. NAMB and Ezell have gone to extraordinary lengths and expenses with published intentions to take their deceptions to the Supreme Court to keep Ezell and others involved in his plots from testifying and the evidence being made public. Virtually all guilty men want silence and all victims and innocent men want all the evidence in the light. It is not hard to figure this out. However, sworn depositions and interrogatory questions and/or a decision by the Supreme Court have the potential to forever damage the Cooperative Program and mission. It has already damaged the essential trust and goodwill of SBC partners. Whatever evidence you need or want to see and review, all you have to do is ask.
3. You are the last line of defense and the least board that is controlled by their entity head. While Mohler is the Kingmaker in the SBC, Ezell is the SBC Banker (with SBC mission gifts) for his friends and SBC celebrities and they are many. He has had $1.2 billion over 10 years to hand out money to friends and friendlies, buy favors and buy protections including silence, and then when necessary, like now, call in the notes from SBC celebrities like Floyd, Hunt, Greear, Scroggins, Rainer and many other influential leaders. After pulling $50 million a year from SBC partnerships with State Conventions over his tenure, Ezell now has $50-$70 million to flexibly distribute out each year to get more “chips in his pocket”, where Reccord had about $20 million annually.
You have numerous effective options to help you carry out your fiduciary duties to the SBC and your Christian duties to truth and justice and to deal with Ezell and NAMB Trustee leadership. They have failed in their duties, gone rogue from the SBC foundations, ways and governing documents, and put the future of cooperative missions at great risk. Typical backroom private conversations and tactics have not and will not work. This demands the disinfectant of light.
Unless the SBC Executive Committee stands up for truth with the courts, numerous people will use NAMB’s legal writings, ERLC legal writings, and the SBC Exec. Committee’s passive compliance in future liability cases. I am already getting calls in this regard.
You are individually responsible as an Executive Committee member. This is not a matter for only the EC officers or your paid employees such as Floyd or for closed door meetings. Ezell and Moore, in addition to other wrongs, have publicly lied to federal courts and are threatening the SBC cooperative mission and inviting the judgement of God. You are being tested as to whether you will stand for truth and oppose such unrighteousness or not. I pray you will act with righteous courage around truth and leave the results to God. NO EXCUSES ALLOWED.
Will McRaney
(letter to SBC Exec Committee 1.4.21)
Docs and articles to Consider:
1. ERLC had to admit to the 5th Circuit Court they lied, after they filed numerous lies in their amicus brief for Ezell.
2. NAMB meets ZERO legal requirements of a Supporting Organization and the brother (atty David deArmas) of current NAMB Trustee Chairman Danny deArmas, signed an affidavit in the fall of 2018 that NAMB did not get a release and NAMB was not a Supporting Organization.
3. ERLC claimed hierarchy and numerous other lies. NAMB/Ezell filed similar lies prior. However, SBC EC CFO Bill Townes filed an affidavit in Feb. 2020 in a $82 million lawsuit that named the SBC that says the exact opposite of Ezell and Moore.