MBC PAPERS | Who authored the April 2021 letter from Ashley Clayton to MBC retracting Clayton’s earlier statements that MBC was “affiliated at all three levels of affiliation?”
Here is the timeline that internal church documents and other sources have revealed.
March 16, 2021, Clayton writes email to MBC member Jeremiah Burke disclosing affiliation and declaring that the SBC is a denomination (Clayton Burke Email Exchange).
March 31, 2021, Burke submits evidence of affiliation and a motion calling for David Platt’s dismissal and removal, at the evening Congregational Meeting to Larry Cooper, Elder Board Chairman (MBC_001600).
April 1, 2021, at 2AM Larry Cooper is still hard at work sending out emails attempting to shoot the messenger. The church is aware they have a problem, a big one (MBC_001666).
After pausing for the Easter Holiday, the damage control efforts quickly resumed.
April 6, 2021, Cooper sends email and memo to Clayton that begins the “clarification.” Wade Burnett and Tom McMahon are copied. Notably after this email Tom McMahon was no longer copied on emails related to Clayton situation (MBC_001656).
April 8, 2021, David Platt sends an email to Cooper and Wade Burnett looking for feedback on an email he is drafting for Clayton to write for public consumption (MBC_001646).
April 9, 2021, Platt sends email to Clayton asking him “to send a letter to our elders” that clarifies relationship between MBC and SBC (MBC_001417).
April 14, 2021, Having not heard back from Ashley Clayton Platt sends a follow-up email nudging Clayton to respond (MBC_001743).
April 15, 2021, Clayton sends email to Platt that contains almost word for word the language suggested by Platt a week earlier (MBC_001383).
April 17, 2021, Platt forwards April 15 email to only Cooper and Burnett asking them “are there any edits you would suggest that might be more helpful/accurate (MBC_001383)?”
April 20, 2021, Clayton sends email to Platt and Larry Cooper that contains much of the language that Platt originally asked him to include on April 9th (MBC_001765-001766). Shortly thereafter the church posted Ashley Clayton’s letter on the MBC website that they had ghostwritten for him.
July 4, 2021, Platt tells congregation that we have a letter from the SBC proving that we aren’t a member of the SBC (He’s referring to the letter he dictated for the SBC to write.)
March 6, 2024, the ghostwritten letter is still proudly displayed on the church website as proof that no unconstitutional affiliation ever took place.