After several years of fighting to get standing in court, Will McRaney will finally have his day in front of a jury next summer. The US District Court of the Northern District of Mississippi has set a trial date of June 5th, 2023. Will McRaney contends that the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention wrongfully interfered with his employment with the Baptist Convention of Maryland Delaware. NAMB has fought the standing of the case and lost two rulings by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals (a three-judge panel, and the whole court) and its appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case, according to Capstone Report.
Throughout this case, NAMB has erroneously argued a hierarchy in the Southern Baptist Convention. These arguments were rejected by the court.
The June 5th trial date means that the case could be decided just in time for the Annual Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans. Should Kevin Ezell and the North American Mission Board lose, this could be a major issue on the floor of the convention. However, in years past this issue has been more of a troll like the ERLC opposing pro-life legislation. But a devastating judgement for McRaney could both expose NAMB and be a springboard or wedge issue for reform.
This is a developing story.
