____________________________________
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
From the Desk of Marie O’Hara
Mailing Address
Bolivar, MO 65613
Dr. David Tolliver, Missouri Baptist Convention Executive Director,
and the members of the Missouri Baptist Convention Executive Board
% Missouri Baptist Convention
400 East High Street
Jefferson City, MO 65101
Dear Dr. David Tolliver and members of the Missouri Baptist Convention Executive Board:
In order to address the call for greater transparency in dealing with a variety of ongoing moral, ethical, and legal issues at Southwest Baptist University and within the Missouri Baptist Convention, my colleagues and I have designed an online educational forum, known as the Educare Forum.
The Educare Forum, which will initially furnish only private access, provides an outline and summation of these concerns and delineates a pathway to resolution.
Because the Missouri Baptist Convention affirms a controlling interest in Southwest Baptist University, we look to the Missouri Baptist Convention Executive Board to oversee, execute, and enforce any necessary and judicious disciplinary action against those who have perpetrated these injuries and injustices.
As previously stated, my concerns involve the harm done to me, my family, and my friends by the employees, administrative and governing officials, and supporters of Southwest Baptist University and the Missouri Baptist Convention, who willfully aided, abetted, counseled, and induced the commission of acts resulting in:
• slander, defamation and the malevolent and formulated provocation of hostility, ill-will, and hatred;
• sexual harassment, molestation, humiliation, and discrimination;
• physical injury, intimidation, and abuse;
• multiple instances of actual and threatened retaliation;
• the fallacious invasion of privacy and violation of confidentiality;
• forgery or tampering with academic, medical and other records;
• subornation of perjury and witness tampering;
• obstruction of justice and abuse of/denial of due process;
• financial duplicity, extortion, and insurance fraud,
• and the abuse and negligence of administrative, executive, pastoral, and ministerial functions, privilege and authority.
Additionally, these claims regard the actions of the employees, administrative and governing officials, and supporters of Southwest Baptist University and the Missouri Baptist Convention, who permitted, facilitated, encouraged, and rewarded others in:
• the deliberate and repeated infliction of physical damage, pain, and suffering;
• the calculated pattern and practice of the imposition of social, psychological, and spiritual distress, anguish and suffering;
• the coordinated conspiracy to defraud, slander, and cause physical, financial, or other harm in collaboration with officials of the Southern Baptist Convention, and other church officials (both SBC churches and others),
• and the ongoing conspiracy to defraud, slander, and cause discriminatory abuse and physical, financial, and other harm based on disability, religious belief, and/or gender in collaboration with local business persons, community members, politicians, and city, county, and state officials.
This week, the Educare Forum password and access information will be provided to the current and former pastors of First Baptist Church of Bolivar, Missouri – Dr. Ray Leininger, Dr. Rodney Reeves, and Rev. Billy Russell.
If the pastors and leadership of First Baptist Church of Bolivar, Missouri can produce no viable pathway to resolution, on Sunday, May 2, 2010, the Educare Forum will be opened and extended to the members of the Missouri Baptist Convention Executive Board, the officials of the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (which is SBU’s accreditation agency), the officials of the Southern Baptist Convention, and the members of the Southwest Baptist University Student Government Association.
At that time (May 2), I will ask Dr. David Tolliver to distribute the access information to each of the members of the current Missouri Baptist Convention Executive Board.
If, by Sunday, May 9, 2010, a clear pathway to resolution is still not evident, my colleagues and I will request that Dr. C. Pat Taylor, several administrators, professors, and staff members, and the entire current Southwest Baptist University Board of Trustees resign during the Southwest Baptist University Trustee Meeting to be held on that Monday and Tuesday, May 10 and 11, 2010.
In order to publicly clarify the reasons for this request, an expanded version of the Educare Forum will be opened to the students and the general public on Sunday, May 9, 2010.
Dr. David Tolliver, I ask that you distribute this letter to each member of the Missouri Baptist Convention Executive Board by no later than Wednesday, April 14, 2010.
It is my purpose to complete this process by Pentecost Sunday, May 23, 2010, which commemorates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the believers in Jerusalem, which may be considered the birthday of the Lord's Church.
This timetable will enable me to relocate in time for the June summer term at my new, out-of-state university and seminary.
It is my prayer that the Grace of God’s Spirit will be reveled within each of us as the Holy Spirit comes along side us as a parakletos -- one who is “summoned, called to one's side” and “called to one's aid,” one who ”pleads another's cause before a judge,” and “an advocate,” one who pleads another's cause with one, an intercessor.” (Strong's G3875 - parakle-tos).
It is my hope that we, through this process, may evidence in our lives the Incarnation of Christmas, the Resurrection of Easter, and the Power of the Holy Spirit, which is celebrated in Pentecost.
I pray that we, by our lives, may illuminate a clear pathway through the fear, faults, failures, lusts, greed, arrogance, hypocrisy, and willful rebellion that does so easily beset us, that we may irradiate a True Path, not becoming a cause of darkness and stumbling to others.
May God grant us His Wisdom and Blessing in confronting these issues, and further conforming to the Image of Christ through the Revelation of His Justice, Mercy and Love.
May God grant us His Wisdom and Blessing in confronting these issues, and further conforming to the Image of Christ through the Revelation of His Justice, Mercy and Love.
For, By and Through His Justice, Mercy and Love,
Marie O’Hara
Faxed to: Dr. David Tolliver at the Missouri Baptist Convention, Jefferson City (Wednesday, April 14, 2010 about 1:10 pm)
and
First Church of Bolivar, Missouri (April 14, 2010 about 1:20 pm)
and others.
