Missouri Baptist Convention Loses Attempt To Regain Conference Center

In Executive Board of the Missouri Baptist Convention v. Windermere Baptist Conference Center, (MO App., Feb. 3, 2009), a Missouri appellate court rejected attempts by the Missouri Baptist Convention to regain control of the valuable Windermere Baptist Conference Center that broke away from the Convention (along with 4 other institutions) in a dispute over the fundamentalist stance of new MBC leaders. The court held that 2001 amendments to Windermere's articles of incorporation taking away MBC's power to elect Windermere trustees were validly adopted. MBC was not a member of Windermere and so, under the Missouri's non-profit corporation law, it was not entitled to vote on the amendments. The court also rejected MBC's contention that Windermere's charter should be rescinded and its property returned to MBC, as well as various other claims by MBC. ABP yesterday reported on the decision. (See prior related posting.)