Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church has until Monday to respond to a lawsuit filed against it by the denomination’s North Georgia Conference.
In the initial filings in Cobb Superior Court dated Sept. 8 is a notice stating that Mt. Bethel has 30 days to provide a response, excluding the date of the complaint, or “judgment by default will be taken against you for the relief demanded in the complaint.”
The notice was signed by Superior Court Clerk Connie Taylor and is a standard provision of lawsuits (you can read the full Mt. Bethel complaint here).
Mt. Bethel is being sued by the North Georgia Conference as part of a months-long dispute over the East Cobb church’s refusal to accept the assignment of a new pastor, and to turn over property and assets after it announced its intent to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church.
In April, North Georgia Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson reassigned Mt. Bethel senior pastor Rev. Dr. Jody Ray to a non-ministerial role in the Conference as part of the UMC’s traditional spring moving day.
But Ray and Mt. Bethel refused, claiming they had not been provided proper consultation as called for in UMC policies.
After turned in his UMC ministerial credentials, church leadership retained him as CEO and head lay minister.
The Conference said those and other Mt. Bethel actions violated the UMC’s Book of Discipline governing policies.
Mt. Bethel also is not providing office space to Rev. Dr. Steven Usry, the Conference’s designated successor to Ray, nor paying him his full salary.
East Cobb News has left a message with Mt. Bethel seeking comment on its response to the lawsuit.
Mt. Bethel has nearly 10,000 members and is the largest denomination in the North Georgia Conference.
It’s been grappling for years with doctrinal and other disputes increasing in the UMC, especially over same-sex marriages and lesbian and gay clergy.
Mt. Bethel has been actively involved in the creation of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, which is being tapped as a future destination for conservative Methodist congregations.
Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, Casey Alarcon, chairwoman of the Mt. Bethel Staff Parish Relations Council (the church’s main governing body), wrote a commentary on the WCA website defending the “unashamedly theologically conservative congregation’s” positions.
She wrote that Mt. Bethel “is a healthy vibrant church despite all the turmoil and disruption Bishop Haupert-Johnson has caused. . . . But now our bishop thinks it is necessary to drag one of her healthiest congregations into the secular courts. It is truly a sad day.”
The national UMC is scheduled to meet next September to decide whether to accept protocols to allow congregations to leave.
Mt. Bethel has petitioned in Cobb Superior Court to allow Keith Boyette, the head of the WCA and a licensed attorney in Virginia, to join its case.
But according to the most recent court filings, North Georgia Conference attorneys are attempting to quash that move.
In a petition filed Sept. 30, North Georgia Conference attorney Tom Cauthorn said Boyette should not be allowed to participate because of a conflict of interest—he has “encouraged the congregation of Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church to disregard mandates and other doctrine” handed down by the Conference.
“One of Mr. Boyette’s primary goals was to take land and buildings currently used by the United Methodist Church from the United Methodist Church so that they can be used by a newly formed denomination,” the Conference filing states.
“One of his organization’s goals is to encourage churches to do exactly the type of things that [Mt. Bethel] did in this matter.”
(You can read the entire letter by clicking here).
Cauthorn concluded that Boyette’s application “may be an attempt to prevent discovery into communications” between Mt. Bethel and Boyette.
Cauthorn’s memo included a copy of a July 28 Mt. Bethel e-mail to congregation members recounting the saga and defending its defiance of Haupert-Johnson and Conference directives.
The e-mail was signed by several dozen WCA board members and chapter presidents around the country. It concludes:
“We have sadly acknowledged that we would not be able to remain as one church. But not all are through with the fighting. Not all are committed to a gracious parting. There are still those who are determined to have winners and losers and who are committed to winning, even if a different view of ‘the faith once and for all delivered to the saints’ and a belief that victory can be achieved through power and intimidation.
“The attempt of your bishop and the North Georgia Conference to seize control of your property and assets, as a thriving church, is unprecedented as far as we are aware. . . .
“Other churches in your conference are frightened that if this can be done to you, it can certainly be done to them. Orthodox churches around the country with progressive bishops are also watching closely, knowing that how your situation is resolved may embolden or restrain their bishop from following Bishop Haupert-Johnson’s lead.”
Related stories
- ‘Friends of Mt. Bethel’ growing more vocal against church leaders
- Mt. Bethel pastor likens church’s saga to Civil Rights movement
- Mt. Bethel sued by UMC denomination
- Mt. Bethel, North Georgia UMC enter mediation
- At prayer service, Mt. Bethel urged to prepare for ‘spiritual warfare’
- Mt. Bethel blasts ‘false declarations’ to seize assets
- North Georgia UMC to seize assets, take over management of Mt. Bethel
- Appointed Mt. Bethel pastor “disappointed” with church leaders
- Mt. Bethel church members fears “that we’re being torn apart”
- Mt. Bethel Church files grievance against Methodist leaders
- Mt. Bethel announces intent to leave United Methodist Church
- Mt. Bethel UMC opposes reassignment of senior pastor
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