Attorneys For Mt. Bethel UMC Subpoena Church Member; Others Could Be Summoned, Too

EAST COBB, GA — Lawyers for Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church issued a subpoena for a church member Feb. 15, and they could call up more church members for depositions as lawsuits proceed between Mt. Bethel and the North Georgia Conference, East Cobb News reported.

The church member's deposition was scheduled for last Wednesday, but after she retained a lawyer, her deposition was delayed to this Tuesday, according to ECN.

The North Georgia Conference sued Mt. Bethel in September after months of conflict over reassigning a popular senior pastor, asking to seize control over the East Cobb church's assets when mediation attempts failed.

It also seeks a permanent injunction to prevent Mt. Bethel, which has been trying to disaffiliate from the UMC for months, from retaining any control over its assets.

In April, the popular senior pastor Rev. Jody Ray was reassigned by Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson to a post related to racial reconciliation. Ray refused the new assignment and claimed it was not made following the proper protocols, and the church announced its intent to disaffiliate.

Mt. Bethel filed a lawsuit counterclaim in October, asking the court to let Mt. Bethel move forward with a vote to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church.

"If the Regional UMC Administrators really believe the rhetoric they have been spreading—that [Mt. Bethel's] 50-member Administrative Council unanimous vote was a rogue take-over by a few local church leaders who do not in fact speak for the majority—then, LET THE CHURCH VOTE!," reads the filing by Mt. Bethel.

Mt. Bethel is also not providing office space to Rev. Dr. Steven Usry, the Conference's designated successor to Ray, nor paying him his full salary, ECN reported in October.

The church member subpoenaed for the ongoing litigation is labeled a "non-party," which means she is not a defendant in the lawsuits.

Lawyers ordered her to bring communications between her and Usry; between her and members of the press or anyone since Jan. 1, 2018 regarding Mt. Bethel or the lawsuit; between her and anyone from the North Georgia Conference related to Mt. Bethel or the lawsuit; between her and Haupert-Johnson; and between her and superintendent Jessica Terrell of the North Georgia UMC.

Mt. Bethel's lead attorney Robert Ingram sent an email Friday to the entire congregation, saying the lawsuit is in the discovery process, which is a standard step in legal proceedings.

"While the inconvenience and disruption caused by the discovery process is unfortunate, it is an important tool for developing and preserving relevant facts. It is in this way that the truth both comes to light and may then be presented in a court of law," Ingram said in the email.

But Friends of Mt. Bethel UMC, a group formed by members of the congregation who are against the actions of church leadership, say while the discovery process is normal, the way the church and its lawyers are going about it is "far from normal."

"In brief, our church is using this legal process to go after some of its own members, people who are in no way responsible for any of the decisions at issue in the lawsuit," the group said in an email and blog post.

Cobb Superior Court Judge Mary Staley Clark will hear arguments on several motions March 15, which Mt. Bethel's lawyers said they expect to be conducted via Zoom and broadcasted on the court's YouTube channel.

You can see all pleadings and documents filed in the lawsuit on the public docket at this link and enter case number 21106801.

"A review of the pleadings in this case shows that Mt. Bethel UMC has begun issuing discovery and deposition orders on its own members, and we understand more are expected. Imagine the amazement, concern, and fear when people realize their own church has served them legal papers and that they must now obtain legal counsel. What purpose is served by this?"

During the week of April 25, Ingram said Staley Clark will hear arguments regarding the North Georgia Conference's and Mt. Bethel's motions for injunctions.

Related:

• 'Let The Church Vote': Mt. Bethel UMC Files Lawsuit Counterclaim
• Mt. Bethel Sued By Methodist Conference After Mediation Fails
• Mt. Bethel Enters Mediation With Conference To Settle Dispute
• Embattled East Cobb Church Warned Of Coming 'Spiritual Battle'
• Mt. Bethel UMC Assets To Be Seized 'Immediately' By Conference
• Cobb Church Breaks With Methodists Over Pastor's Reassignment