We pick up the Two Rivers saga with a tiny faction that became extremely concerned about financial and governance issues at their church. 
 

 

After Frank Harris, a longtime member and trustee, was voted out of the church by fellow congregants, the dissident group continued to press their church to release its financial records. 
 

 

The Religion News Blog featured the following headline on September 18, 2007:  “Two Rivers Baptist Church faction sues for files”.   Here’s the link:

http://www.religionnewsblog.com/20336/jerry-sutton
 

 

The article’s subtitle succinctly states the problem:  “Two Rivers Baptist Church leaders are blocking access to financial records that could show whether funds have been misappropriated, some members of the church say in a lawsuit.”
 

 

What were they hiding?  We’ll get to that tomorrow!

 

Think about it…  If you suspected that your pastor was not being a good steward of church funds, what would you do?  This group took the only action available to them at an “autonomous” Southern Baptist church – they sued for the release of the financial records and for the removal of their authoritarian pastor Jerry Sutton, whom they believed had misspent church funds on items such as personal trips and his daughter’s wedding reception.  They also claimed that Sutton didn’t properly account for money going into the church, including a $1 million gift.  Check out the claim at this link: www.religionnewsblog.com/20338/jerry-sutton-3

 

Who was overseeing the financial matters of Two Rivers Baptist Church and didn’t the church have specific guidelines on expenditures? 
 

 

ATTENTION!   If churches don’t manage their receipts and disbursements properly, they may have the government breathing down their necks instead of church members.  Remember the six prosperity gospel preachers who were investigated by Senator Charles Grassley?  CHECK OUT THIS LINK: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23596173/
 

 

Sutton’s supporters believed their pastor had done nothing wrong and that all of the questionable expenditures, such as the portion of the wedding reception paid by the church, had been approved by church committees.  If that’s true, then why wasn't this concerned group allowed to review the church’s financial records?  Again, what were the pastor and leaders of the church hiding?
 

 

The lawsuit which was filed by 74 church members sought access to financial records of the Two Rivers Baptist Church under Tennessee laws that cover access to records of nonprofit groups.  In a letter that was included with the lawsuit, the church members demanded access to membership lists, budgets, expense records, and credit card statements.  It also called for the removal of Pastor Jerry Sutton and others in charge at the church. 
 

 

On January 4, 2008, a Nashville judge dismissed the case because the courts do not have any jurisdiction over church matters.  Larry Crain, senior counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice who represented Two Rivers Baptist Church and its leaders, relied on “the separation of church and state” defense, as well as constitutional rights to privacy of members included on the church roll.
 

 

However, Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman did give the church members some hope.  She stated that they were entitled to see more financial documents, which is what they wanted in the first place.
 

 

What was Jerry Sutton’s pastoral response to the dissidents?  It made headlines on January 12, 2008.  Take a look.  “Pastor wants apology from church members who sued him.
 
Here's the link: www.religionnewsblog.com/jerry-sutton-2
 

 

Take a look at the following excerpt from the above article:
 

 

“Seventy-four church members in the lawsuit received a letter this week from Sutton and Carlos Cobos, chairman of Two Rivers deacon board.  It accused them of damaging the church’s witness and welfare.  They were given five days to issue a written response to Sutton.  ‘If we do not apologize and repent,’ said church member Erika Williams, ‘he is going to try to roust all 74 of us out.’  Williams, who said she won’t apologize, fears she won’t be able to set foot in the church where she’s been a member for 15 years.  ‘I don’t know if we will be allowed in on Sunday.’”

 

 
And Sutton and Cobos are accusing the 74 dissidents of damaging the church’s ‘witness and welfare’? 
 

Incredible! 
 

 

With an attitude like that, we’re sure that Nashville residents who don’t know Christ “felt the love” and flocked to Two Rivers the following Sunday morning.  Not surprisingly, Sutton and the other church leaders declined to comment on the specifics of their letter.  “We are trying to handle this biblically,” said Andrew Dunning, vice-chairman of the Two Rivers deacon board.  Handling it Biblically?  Would that involve “church discipline” and the application of Matthew 18?  Oh yes!  The letter quoted Matthew 18:12-17.  When Dunning was asked about the biblical command to turn the other cheek, he declined to comment. 
 

 

According to the Sutton/Cobos letter, the church members violated the church bylaws by their actions.  Eight steps were outlined in order for them to make amends. 
 

 

One of the steps was:  “Stop causing disharmony among our Church Membership by being a party to malicious gossip, rumor spreading, defaming conversations, and the spreading of unfounded accusations against our Pastor, our Church Leadership, and our Church.”  This can be found at the following link: www.rickross.com/reference/clergy/clergy799.html 
 
According to information we found at the above link:  if the dissidents refuse to comply with the demands made by Sutton and the deacons, they face expulsion.  The church bylaws stipulate that a congregational vote will be held to determine the fate of these church members.  Two-thirds of the members present at the meeting must vote to expel them. 
 
Will the dissidents be expelled from Two Rivers Baptist Church?  The stunning answer to that question is the topic of tomorrow’s post…