Missouri Baptist Convention Loses Again In Suit To Get Control of Windermere

The Missouri Baptist Convention has suffered another loss in its attempt 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. According to ABP, on April 9 a Camden County (MO) Circuit judge dismissed a suit challenging the legality of changes that Windermere made in its articles of incorporation in 2001. The judge said that the issues are the same as those posed in a companion lawsuit that was decided by the state court of appeals in February. In that case, the appellate court held that the amendments taking away MBC's power to elect Windermere trustees were validly adopted. The April 9 dismissal leaves fraud charges against one defendant pending, at least for the time being.