A legal dispute between congregation members and leaders of Second Baptist Church will go to a jury trial after court-ordered mediation failed.
The legal dispute will go to trial on July 27
The Second Baptist trial is scheduled to begin on July 27, after a court-ordered mediation failed to resolve the dispute between a group of congregants and church leaders.
The case centers on changes to the church’s internal bylaws at Second Baptist Church, one of Houston’s best-known congregations, and the leadership transition that followed the departure of senior pastor Ed Young in 2024.
The plaintiffs are part of a group called Jeremiah Counsel. In their complaint, they accuse the Young family and other leaders of allegedly consolidating control of the church, its internal decisions, and assets valued at about $1 billion.
The defendants, including Ed Young, Ben Young, Lee Maxcy, and Dennis Brewer Jr., have rejected the allegations and maintain that the suit is part of a campaign against them.
The case centers on the church’s bylaws
According to court records, the dispute began with a review of Second Baptist Church’s bylaws and governing documents.
Church leaders argue that the previous structure no longer matched the size, scope, and diversity of the congregation. Second Baptist has thousands of members, several campuses in the Houston region, and a K-12 school.
On May 31, 2023, the revised bylaws were presented to members attending a special meeting. According to case documents, the vote was 315 in favor and 2 against.
With those changes, a new leadership structure replaced the old board of trustees. The new ministerial leadership team was appointed by the senior pastor.
For the plaintiffs, that vote did not adequately represent the church’s full membership. They also allege there was little notice, a lack of transparency, and an insufficient explanation of the true scope of the changes.
The defendants reject that version and contend that the process was valid.
The succession from Ed Young to Ben Young is part of the claim
The suit also questions how Ben Young was named senior pastor after his father, Ed Young, left the post in 2024.
The Jeremiah Counsel group argues that the 2023 changes allowed Ben Young to be designated without the level of oversight or congregational participation that, according to the plaintiffs, existed under the previous structure.
The plaintiffs contend that that modification removed voting rights that members had held for decades in significant church decisions.
The defense has denied that this is a takeover. In documents and public responses related to the case, Second Baptist leaders have maintained that the allegations are not true and that the changes were appropriate for operating a large congregation.
The mediation failed after a court order
The case had been scheduled for trial in late April, but the court ordered mediation on April 1.
By April 30, lawyers reported that the mediation process had not been successful. With that, the case was steered again toward a jury trial.
The hearing is scheduled before Judge Grant Dorfman in Texas’s 11th Business Court.
The trial could address questions related to the validity of the internal governance changes, the scope of pastoral authority, and members’ participation in institutional decisions.
Second Baptist approaches its centennial amid the proceedings
Second Baptist Church is approaching its centennial in 2027. For decades, the congregation has played a visible role in Houston’s religious life and has grown to become one of the region’s largest churches.
The case has drawn attention for the size of the congregation, the value of its assets, and the weight of the transition from Ed Young to Ben Young.
The plaintiffs seek to reverse the changes which, they say, reduced the power of the membership. The defense argues that the new structure addressed organizational needs and that the allegations against the leaders have no basis.
The trial is scheduled for July 27 in Texas’s 11th Business Court.
