Church Reform Initiative debuts trailer of upcoming new documentary: 'J.D. GREEAR UNMASKED: How Faith Baptist Church Defeated a Ruthless SBC Elite'
The Church Reform Initiative has debuted a trailer on YouTube about its upcoming documentary, which alleges a takeover attempt of Faith Baptist Church in Nightdale, N.C., by Summit Church, a Southern Baptist megachurch in Durham, N.C.
“J.D. GREEAR UNMASKED: How Faith Baptist Church Defeated a Ruthless SBC Elite,” recounts how leaders of Summit Church, pastored by J.D. Greear, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, led an effort to take over the church’s property for a new satellite location.
The video details the contentious closure of Faith Baptist and its subsequent attempted acquisition by Summit Church. Members of Faith Baptist are interviewed, alleging a hostile takeover orchestrated by Greear, claiming that he and other leaders pursued a deliberate strategy to acquire the Faith Baptist building, ultimately leading to the church’s dissolution and bankruptcy.
Faith Baptist members interviewed say there a pre-determined plan to obtain the Faith Baptist facility and shut down the church by Summit Church, preventing them from accessing the building for worship. One member describes the emotional toll this had on the congregation and the pain of seeing their church sit empty for a year. Another member emphasizes the feeling of betrayal and the perception that the acquisition was not a genuine merger, but rather a forceful takeover disguised as a partnership.
A key allegation is that Summit Church injected $170,000 into Faith Baptist on the same day the church filed for bankruptcy, which was strategically used to fund legal battles against Faith Baptist members who opposed the takeover. One member calls the situation “evil,” emphasizing the emotional distress and spiritual damage inflicted upon the congregation.
The video concludes with a plea for others to learn from Faith Baptist’s experience, preventing similar situations from occurring in other churches, and serves as a cautionary tale about the potential for power imbalances and questionable practices within religious organizations, highlighting the importance of transparency and accountability in church leadership.
The Church Reform Initiative previously released “The Real David Platt: The Hijacking of McLean Bible Church” on October 20, 2024. The documentary featured interviews with numerous McLean church members, including the former church treasurer and elders, who described the alleged leadership and financial deception by Platt after coming to the church. Platt served as president of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board from 2014 to 2017 before leaving for McLean.
Related:
EPISODE 1 | A HOSTILE TAKEOVER: How A Church In North Carolina Almost Lost Everything
EPISODE 2 | THE FIGHT FOR FAITH: Faith Baptist Members Fight for Their Church
EPISODE 3 | J.D. GREEAR UNMASKED: How Faith Baptist Church Defeated a Ruthless SBC Elite
Watch documentary trailer:
JD Greear has/had a lot of people snowed. How could someone still attend Summit church after this outrageous unethical campaign?! The church body should be calling for his resignation pronto. If there is no fallout at Summit, well, I guess people there are just fine with the country club church it appears to be.