Methodist Church Raises Bankruptcy Concerns Over Suit

The new bishop of the West Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church says the church would go bankrupt if it has to pay a six-million dollar lawsuit judgement against it. Bishop Robert Schnase has told the conference’s annual delegate meeting the judgement is about one-half million dollars more than the conference’s total assets. A former music director at a Springfield church had claimed she was raped by the church’s minister, and that the conference had ignored previous complaints that he was sexually harassing her. The minister has denied wrongdoing, has left the Methodist Church, and is now a Baptist minister in Kansas. The church has asked the judge to overturn the decision or reduce the size of the award or grand a new trial.