Controversy Surrounds Failed Church Merger in North Carolina
An attempted merger between two North Carolina churches has become the center of a heated discussion following the release of a docuseries suggesting questionable practices were used in the process. The series scrutinizes a proposed merger between Pastor J.D. Greear’s The Summit Church and Faith Baptist Church, alleging dubious tactics in the bid to acquire Faith Baptist’s valuable 30-acre property.
The three-part docuseries, “Defending Faith Baptist,” was released by the Church Reform Initiative. This organization seeks to shed light on corruption in Christian establishments, employing both educational and legal methods.
In response, The Summit Church issued a statement clarifying their stance. The church’s elders emphasized that they were unaware of the documentary until its public release, maintaining that they adhered to the utmost integrity during merger discussions.
“As some of you may have seen, our pastor and our church are the subject of a recent documentary series about our attempted church merger with Faith Baptist Church in Knightdale. We received no advance notification about this documentary, nor were we consulted about the issues discussed within it. We saw it for the first time when the episodes were shared with the public,” Summit Church directional elders stated.
The series alleges that The Summit Church utilized manipulation and coercion to force the merger, claims that Summit Church firmly denies. The church argued that they were approached by Faith Baptist Church after they had set up a mobile campus in the area due to local demand.
The directional elders explained that the merger proposal stemmed from Faith Baptist’s declining attendance and financial issues. Conversations between the two churches considered dissolving Faith Baptist and handing over its assets to become a permanent Summit Church location.
Jon Harris, the docuseries creator, detailed what he described as a “silent takeover” in an op-ed for American Reformer. Harris criticized the alleged infiltration of progressive ideology into Evangelical Christianity, linking it to broader changes within the Southern Baptist Convention.
He contended, “These were not isolated events but part of a broader, coordinated push connected with the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination. What also became clear is that leftist politics are just one piece of a much larger agenda to fundamentally transform American evangelicalism.” Harris claimed that the goal extended beyond politics to fundamentally alter church traditions and community structures.
Faith Baptist members reported their challenges began following Pastor Mick Bowen’s retirement in 2021 and the subsequent appointment of Pastor Jason Little, who they accuse of facilitating the merger under the guise of partnership.
The episodes of the docuseries reveal alleged behind-the-scenes activities, including text exchanges, financial strategies, and purported spiritual conflicts. The series also discusses anticipated benefits for The Summit Church and documents the legal battles fought by Faith Baptist members.
Summit Church’s directional elders cited a congregational vote held by Faith Baptist in March 2024, showing 97 in favor and 55 against the merger. However, dissenting members pursued legal action to prevent the merger’s progress. Summit Church asserts that they were not a party in these legal proceedings.
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
