Jeremiah Counsel Condemns Second Baptist Church Purging Volunteer Leaders

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 15, 2025

Media Contact: info@jeremiahcounsel.org

HOUSTON, TX – Jeremiah Counsel Corporation, a Texas nonprofit organization whose purpose is to promote, protect and restore integrity, accountable governance and donor protection for churches in Texas, condemns the recent actions by Second Baptist Church leadership in removing members from Volunteer Leadership positions.

Over the last few months, and increasing this past week, Jeremiah Counsel has been informed that members who publicly supported calls for transparency to the alleged new bylaws that were deceptively put in place in May of 2023 have been dismissed from a variety of volunteer positions including, but not limited to: Ministry Leadership Team, Finance Committee, Bible Study leaders, choir members, praise team singers, Angels of Light leaders, and more.

Instead of the church leadership working with loyal long-time members to find a resolution that all parties could be comfortable with, repairing the fracture that they created via their own actions, they have aggressively lashed out at those who requested transparency. Despite some of those members serving the church for 40+ years, they were told that they were no longer allowed to serve the body of Christ and if they tried to do so they would be escorted out by security.

Jeremiah Counsel, and countless Second Baptist Church members, urge Pastor Ben Young and Second Baptist leadership to restore these members, and halt all future retribution against individuals who exercise their first amendment right to call for transparency and accountability.

Background

In May 2023, the Young Group held a meeting to amend the by-laws in such a way to deny all 94,000 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 now has ultimate control over the church and its $1 Billion in assets that came from tithes and offerings. With the ability to control the MLT, the Senior Pastor can, at any time, for any reason:

Sell the church or merge it with any other church, even if the transaction is with a family member.

Close or sell any campus.

Close, sell, or dramatically increase tuition at Second Baptist School instead of continuing to subsidize it as a ministry of the church.

Raise the Senior Pastor’s salary and that of his leadership, in total secrecy.

Appoint the next Senior Pastor, without a search process, or approval by an independent board.

Many long-time church members and former deacon officers have attempted to discuss their concerns with the Senior Pastor about the dangers to the church created by the changes to the by-laws. Unfortunately, the Senior Pastor has stated repeatedly that he has no interest in changing the governance, and he is unwilling to give the membership back their vote.

For almost two years, long-time members tried to correct the wrongs that were done to the governance of the church. They tried to suggest solutions that would give the 90,000+ members the comfort of knowing there are proper checks and balances to protect the church. Their efforts fell on deaf ears and were met with hostility.

Unfortunately, the only path that remained to safeguard the future of the church, and its assets, was legal action to overturn the purported vote that occurred in May 2023, before the two-year statute of limitations expired.

The church leadership still refuses to engage in biblically led conversation with the membership, providing them with the right to participate in the governance of their church. Instead, pastors are aggressively removing anyone who questions their unchecked authority. This behavior is not biblical leadership, rather it is more what would be expected from dictators and oppressive regimes. We call on the pastors to cease the prosecution of those who question their authority. Instead, preserve freedom of speech and work proactively and collaboratively to unify the church around the biblical design with which it has operated for the last ~100 years.

To read the open letter to church membership, and read a copy of the petition, please visit www.jeremiahcounsel.org.

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