Word & Way to be ousted from Missouri Baptist building

by Vicki Brown                                                                                                                    Vol. XVI, No. 3, March 2003

Word & Way, the Baptist newspaper involved in a legal battle with Missouri Baptist Convention, has been told to vacate the convention-owned space it occupies by March 1. In addition, materials belonging to the news journal and stored in another area of the convention headquarters in Jefferson City have been locked away from the 100-plus-year-old paper's staff.

In the past two years, the boards of Word & Way, the Baptist Home, Missouri Baptist University, Missouri Baptist Foundation, and Windermere Baptist Conference Center have changed their charters to allow those entities -- rather than the Missouri Baptist Convention -- to elect trustees. In August, the convention filed legal action against the institutions.

The convention has since started its own newspaper, the Pathway, also housed in the Baptist Building.

In a letter to Webb, David Clippard, convention executive director, called the newspaper's ouster from the space "appropriate" since "Word & Way no longer considers itself a division of or an agency of the Missouri Baptist Convention or the executive board."

But Bill Webb, Word & Way editor, disagreed. "I and the Word & Way trustees do consider Word & Way as still an agency of the Missouri Baptist Convention," he said in Jan. 31 interview. "The action to elect our board was made. However, our trustees said they were committed and that Word & Way is committed to continuing the ministry they were engaged in. That purpose has not changed."

Although notice to vacate the building was not totally unexpected, Webb said a move within 30 days would be a challenge. "Obviously we have known for some time of the possibility," he said. "We were somewhat aware of the market, but we were not in a position to request someone to hold space indefinitely."

At the 2001 annual meeting, a convention committee was appointed to study contracts with Windermere, a lease with the Foundation, and space use by Word & Way. The committee reported to the executive board in April 2002.

"Some of the issues were turned over to the legal task force," committee chairman Bob Griffin said by telephone Jan. 31. On the issue of Word & Way, Griffin said the committee recommended that "it stay in abeyance until the larger issues were settled." The committee has not met since April and was not consulted about the March 1 deadline.

The newspaper traditionally has used the Baptist Building space free. Webb said Word & Way's use has been based on "a gentlemen's agreement" and that trustees have not discussed the possibility of pursuing legal means to remain in the space. [ABP]

[Vicki Brown is news writer for Word & Way]