A Broward Circuit Court judge has cleared the way for a high-profile governance lawsuit at First Baptist Church Piney Grove in Oakland Park, Florida, to proceed, denying a motion to dismiss filed by Senior Pastor Rev. Ezra L. Tillman, Jr. and members of the church’s deacon board.
During a hearing last Friday, Judge Daniel Casey ruled from the bench that the complaint filed by nearly 50 church members adequately states its claims and will move forward in full. The defendants had argued that the lawsuit lacked legal sufficiency, but the court rejected those arguments after hearing presentations from both sides.
Immediately after denying the motion to dismiss, Judge Casey held roughly six hours of testimony on the plaintiff’s request for a temporary injunction aimed at halting what members describe as ongoing violations of the church’s constitution and governance procedures…