Lawsuit Alleges Power Grab at Second Baptist Church Houston
A new lawsuit accuses Second Baptist Church Houston of removing long-standing member voting rights and handing “near-dictatorial authority” to its senior pastor. Filed by the nonprofit Jeremiah Counsel on April 15 in Harris County, the suit alleges church leaders quietly amended bylaws in 2023 to centralize power under Senior Pastor Ben Young. The church, one of the largest in the country with 94,000 members and a $1 billion asset base, is now facing mounting internal opposition.
Secretive Bylaw Changes Spark Internal Uproar
The bylaw amendments, allegedly passed with minimal notice, were approved at a meeting held on May 31, 2023, which was attended by a small number of people. Fewer than 0.25% of church members attended, many of them staff, and were reportedly directed to vote in favor. Attendees were not allowed to review the amended bylaws in advance. Jeremiah Counsel claims this process stripped members of their historic voting rights, consolidating control in the senior pastor’s hands.
Pastor Gained Sweeping Control Over Church Assets
According to the lawsuit, the new bylaws permit the senior pastor to independently manage church assets, appoint successors, and set his own salary. Ben Young’s father, Ed Young, used these powers to install his son as senior pastor in May 2024 without a congregational vote. The day after the announcement, Ben Young allegedly removed his father and fired two employees, signaling a new era of centralized authority.
Dissenters Denounce Lack of Oversight and Transparency
Former board chair Archie Dunham and other members have spoken out, accusing the church of operating with “secrecy and non-transparency.” Dunham called the governance model unacceptable in any corporate context. Members say their efforts to restore accountability have been ignored, with leadership refusing to reinstate prior bylaws or disclose the full composition of the leadership team.
Lawsuit Seeks to Void Bylaws, Restore Church Accountability
Jeremiah Counsel filed the lawsuit ahead of a two-year deadline, seeking to void the amendments and recover any financial gains that may have resulted from them. They draw parallels between Second Baptist’s new structure and Fellowship Church, led by Ben Young’s brother. The shift follows a broader trend among megachurches toward pastor-controlled governance, raising concerns about financial transparency and disenfranchisement of members.
Source:
Image: Facebook
About Post Author
