A couple living in a faith-based community at a New Mexico conference center has filed a federal lawsuit to try to block the sale of the 2,000-acre Baptist-affiliated campus to a Texas group. As residents fight to stay on the property, Kirk and Susie Tompkins of Little Rock, Ark., sought to halt the sale of the Glorieta Conference Center to the evangelical group called Glorieta 2.0, the Albuquerque Journal reported Thursday. The couple claims the center's current operator, LifeWay Christian Resources of Nashville, Tenn., can't sell the acreage because it belongs to the executive committee of the Southern Baptist Convention. LifeWay is an arm of the organization. The lawsuit says the SBC's charter directs that its property can only be sold with a majority affirmative vote taken at two consecutive SBC conferences. The couple wants the sale of the center 18 miles southeast of Santa Fe to be put on hold until the SBC can vote on the sale in 2014 and 2015. Glorieta 2.0 paid only a dollar to acquire the Glorieta center from LifeWay earlier this year. LifeWay spokesman Marty King said the group hasn't received formal notice of the lawsuit but added the organization is confident Southern Baptist Convention approval is not required for this transaction. Last month, Glorieta 2.0 told residents they had three options — donating their house to the conference center, getting paid $40,000 to $100,000 for their house and leaving, or staying for 12 years then leaving without a penny for their dwelling. There are about 60 houses on the property. Half are owned by churches and schools. Most of the rest are secondary homes where about five families live full-time...
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Albuquerque, New Mexico Federal Magistrate Judge Robert Hayes Scott, sitting in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, Ordered and held a Hearing on November 21, 2013 in Civil Action No. 1:13-cv-00840-JB-RHS. Oral argument presented by Defendants and Plaintiff resulted in a Court Order requiring Attorneys for Defendants and pro-Se Plaintiffs to file "Findings of Facts and Conclusions of Law within 14 days.
Thursday December 5, 2013 documents filed with the Court include argument for dismissal by Defendants Attorneys citing Affidavits and Opinions by LifeWay and Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention in-house legal counsel. Plaintiffs Non-Attorney pro-Se document argues for the Court to set a Jury Trial date citing case law. Plaintiffs challenge the Defendants exemption from Federal Court under religious grounds. Plaintiffs reference case law supporting their argument. Plaintiffs state they exhausted all private remedies writing five letters to resolve this Non-Religious Doctrine cause of action involving LifeWay's fraudulent misrepresentations and fraudulent sale of Glorieta Conference Center.
The actions of LifeWay have forced pastors, widows, retirees, and other residents with religious retreats out of Glorieta Conference Center. Glorieta homeowners, some having invested their life savings in their homes, received $30.00 sq. ft. for their homes with a maximum of $100.00, or 12-year leases ending with homeowners donating their home to Glorieta 2.0. LifeWay reports all former homeowners are satisfied with a few remaining holdouts. Homeowners' expressions differ, stating coercion mandating they sign agreements.
Plaintiffs' Kirk and Susie Tompkins Amended lawsuit filed September 18, 2013 against the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, LifeWay Christian Resources, Southern Baptist Convention, and Glorieta 2.0. Plaintiffs' charge each defendant is a coconspirator in the fraudulent sale by LifeWay of Glorieta Conference Center for less than fair market value in violation of 501 (c) (3) laws of inurement, Uniform Commercial Contract, Corporate Charter, and fraud resulting in Glorieta residents irreparable harm.
Court Order Returns Baptist Property To Original Owner Over Failure To Have Trustees’ Vote Confirmed By Messengers At Convention
This is an issue of trust and openness between the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), it’s entities, and the fourteen plus million members that comprise the SBC.
By: Kirk Tompkins
Little Rock, Arkansas
October 10, 2017 — The Glorieta Conference Center ‘litigation’ is about one family making a Christian Stand for 100 families and churches owning 65 residences and lodges who were paid “zero dollars” by LifeWay according to a 10th Court transcription. This same court transcription records the judge questioned why LifeWay was without any “feelings of moral responsibility’.
According to the September 27, 2017 86-page opinion by Missouri Court Judge DeMarce, failure of Baptist entities to follow their charters in compliance with annual convention messengers vote violates state law. LifeWay Trustees just as the Missouri Baptist Trustees in the referenced case, “rubber Stamped” their approval to sell Glorieta, and subsequently trustees approved the sale of LifeWay managed Downtown Nashville real estate. Question, was it theirs to sell when the acquisition and expansions were paid for by SBC members? According to Judge DeMarce, state law requires the Messengers at annual Baptist Convention meetings vote to approve any change prompted by the entity executives and agreed to by trustees to follow the letter of the state law. The Baptist Bylaws, Constitution, and Charter covenants are legal documents. The SBC Constitution has a 2-consecutive convention vote requirement for assets/real-estate disposal. This was the major point in a Baptist Press article quoting Frank Page’s commentary about selling Executive Committee Downtown Nashville real estate, “taking the sale before SBC”.
*Defendants’: LifeWay entity of $13.5 Billion SBC, millionaire Thom Rainer, Jerry Rhyne, Larry Cannon, Hal Hill, Trustee Linda Dean, Glorieta 2.0, Billionaire David Weekley of David Weekley Homes, Billionaires Terry Looper and Leonard Russo of Texon (propane supplier to Glorieta), Anthony Scott, Jeff Ward.
More: http://sbctoday.wpengine.com/court-order-returns-baptist-property-to-original-owner-over-failure-to-have-trustees-vote-confirmed-by-messengers-at-convention/
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