JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Baptist Foundation lost its final appeal Sept. 20 in the legal action filed against it by the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) 14 years ago. As a result, current trustees will be required to surrender governance to MBC-elected trustees.
The state Supreme Court denied the Foundation’s application to transfer its appeal of a judgment issued by the Circuit Court of Cole County, Missouri, in October 2014.
“The judgment held the Foundation in 2001 acted contrary to law when it amended its articles to provide for a self-perpetuating board of trustees,” according to a Foundation news release. “The judgment ordered the current board of trustees to step aside and be replaced by other trustees elected in accord with corporate articles of incorporation which were in effect prior to the amendments made in 2001.”
MBC originally filed suit in 2012 against the Foundation and four other entities that had taken action to self-elect their trustees rather than to accept trustees elected by messengers to the MBC annual meeting. The circuit court ruled in favor of Windermere in 2008, a decision the appeals court upheld in 2009. MBC voluntarily withdrew its claims against Word & Way a year later. Cases against The Baptist Home and Missouri Baptist University are pending. (Word & Way)
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