Lawsuit against Second, Houston, claims ‘nearly dictatorial’ church governance and leadership control after pastor’s retirement
A lawsuit claims a “nearly dictatorial” leadership model has overtaken Second Baptist Church, Houston – one of the largest churches in the Southern Baptist Convention – after member voter rights were circumvented with the installation of Ben Young as senior pastor after his famous father, Ed Young, Sr., announced his resignation and retirement in 2024.
Jeremiah Counsel, a nonprofit initiated by former church members, filed a lawsuit on April 15 against Second Baptist Church and its leaders, including current and former senior pastors. The lawsuit alleges that the church's decision-making process has become opaque, with members stripped of voting rights without their knowledge during a purportedly bylaws-amending meeting.
The lawsuit highlights concerns regarding the loss of voting rights, accountability, and transparency within Second Baptist Church, asserting that essential changes to the bylaws were not communicated effectively to members. Allegations include that an amendment meeting of the church was poorly attended and that members were not allowed access to the proposed changes, raising questions about the integrity of the decision-making process.
Jeremiah Counsel sent an “Open Letter” to Second Baptist members following the filing of the lawsuit, as well as issued a press release on April 23 that reads in part:
“On May 31, 2023, the Young Group deceived and manipulated the members of the church via a misleading vote to amend the by-laws in such a way to deny all 90,000+ members of their right to vote. In doing so, the Young Group transferred virtually all power to the Senior Pastor. Church members were not given copies of the proposed by-laws, nor were they told that if they voted for the new by-laws, they would never again have transparency to the financial affairs and governance of the church or be permitted to vote on any church business going forward.
“The Senior Pastor, without a vote of the membership or a board of trustees elected by the members, now has ultimate control over the church and its $1 Billion in assets that came from tithes and offerings. The Senior Pastor can, at any time, for any reason: 1) Sell the church or merge it with any other church, even if the transaction is with a family member, 2) Close or sell any campus, 3) Close, sell, or dramatically increase tuition at Second Baptist School instead of continuing to subsidize it as a ministry of the church, 4) Raise the Senior Pastor’s salary and that of his leadership to any amount, in total secrecy, (and) 5) Appoint the next Senior Pastor, without a search process or approval by an independent board.”
The Trinity Foundation, a group that monitors religious fraud, has published an extensive account about the action of Second Baptist and the lawsuit titled, A Story of Power, Deceit, and Betrayal at Second Baptist Church: Members File Court Petition, Try to Save Church’s Legacy.”
Ed Young Sr. is a past president of the SBC and served as pastor of Second Baptist for 46 years. In 1992, when Young was SBC president, the convention voted to end its support for the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs over positions on social and theological issues.
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