The new leader of the Tennessee Baptist Convention – elected last week – has virtually no expectation of mending a relationship with Belmont University.Belmont Trustees decided last year to bring in non-Baptist board members. In response, Tennessee Baptists held a special called meeting in May and voted to use any means necessary to stop the move and regain control of the university. The TBC filed a 58-million-dollar lawsuit in September to recoup more than 50 years of investment if the school chose to split. Belmont officials asked that the suit be dismissed earlier this month, calling it merit-less.
Board chairman Marty Dickens says the lawsuit came as the parties were discussing mediation opportunities.
“I think they saw this as covering all their bases. I don’t understand their tactic. They’ve got the suit filed but they are certainly pursuing mediation to see if we can resolve the issue. It’s our hope that we can resolve the issue in a way that they’re fine and we’re fine and we move on.”
TBC president Ron Stewart is a Knoxville pastor and a Belmont graduate. He says filing the suit was the only way Belmont would take the Convention seriously. Stewart says the school seems bent on walking away from its Baptist heritage.
“If you’re in a marriage relationship and one partner says I no longer want to be in this relationship, you can’t stop them from leaving no matter now much you love them. No matter how much you care for them, and that’s my personal analogy of what has happened.”
Stewart insists the lawsuit isn’t about money, but he says it’s only fair that the school reimburse decades of support from Tennessee Baptists.
Attorneys on both sides are preparing their cases and will meet with a Davidson County judge in the coming weeks. Both Belmont and TBC officials say they hope to resolve their conflict outside of a courtroom.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM