Almost three years after a lawsuit emerged within a West Cullman Baptist Association church over property issues, a ruling was handed down following a two-day trial.
On Aug. 11 Circuit Court Judge S.A. Watson Jr. granted a defense motion for summary judgment in favor of Seventh Street Baptist Church, Cullman. The judge ruled against the group bringing the case, now known as Seventh Street Baptist Church of Cullman Preservation Committee. Scott Harris is interim pastor.
Eleven members of Preservation Committee sued Seventh Street Baptist Church Pastor Steve Britt and other church leaders Sept. 28, 2001, about a planned relocation. The lawsuit was filed two days prior to 73 percent of the members of Seventh Street voting to relocate.
A local businessman offered to trade his 58-acre propery on Alabama Highway 157 for the Seventh Street church building and property, Britt explained.
“This is in one of the fastest growing areas in Cullman,” he said, adding that the man, Roy Drinkard, also donated $1 million to the church and allowed the members to remain on the original property for two years while building on the new property.
“We as a church made that decision and felt like that it was what God would have us do,” said Britt, who has been pastor since 1994.
Britt said the church has a weekly attendance of about 1,000.
But Bill Floyd of Preservation Committee said many of the older members of the church did not want to relocate. They charged there were irregularities in the process.
Later they purchased the original property from Drinkard. “We had our first service back in the original building Jan. 25 of this year,” he said, noting the church has an average attendance of 200–250.
Floyd said the group would decide about appealing once the official court report has been reviewed. He added that contractual issues were still unresolved and would also have to be addressed.
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