Texas Business Court Judge Dismisses Most Lawsuit Claims Against Second Baptist Houston, Citing Church Autonomy Doctrine

HOUSTON – A Texas Business Court judge has dismissed most of the claims against Second Baptist Church in Houston in a lawsuit brought by current and former church members last spring.
Citing the church autonomy doctrine, Judge Grant Dorfman granted the church’s motion for summary judgment in all but two of the plaintiffs’ claims. The suit, initiated by a group identifying as the Jeremiah Counsel Corporation, contested the May 2023 move by church leadership to amend the church’s governing structure and bylaws.
According to the suit, the leadership’s stated purpose was to clarify beliefs and reinforce positions on social issues, but the underlying intent was to eliminate congregants’ democratic input into church affairs. Plaintiffs alleged the changes were fraudulent, claiming they misrepresented the church’s commitment to “biblical” governance.
“We received word that the judge has ruled in our favor in the matter before the court and we are deeply grateful,” Ben Young, the pastor, stated following the ruling. He emphasized the church’s dedication to its biblical mission, referencing Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what the Lord requires of you is only that you do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.”
The church autonomy doctrine, which protects internal religious decisions from civil court interference, was central to the judge’s reasoning. “Entertaining such claims would impermissibly entangle the Court in second-guessing the Church’s governance and property decisions,” the judge noted in his ruling.
Jay Sekulow, chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice and representing Second Baptist, welcomed the decision. “From the very beginning of this case, we have maintained that decisions about church governance belong to the Church, not the civil courts,” Sekulow commented, adding that the church has strived to honor both its legal obligations and biblical mission throughout the litigation.

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