Nashville, USA - The pastor of a Nashville megachurch is taking early retirement after coming under fire from a group of congregants who claim he misused church funds.
Members of Two Rivers Baptist Church have approved a $314,000 retirement package for the Rev. Jerry Sutton, a former first vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention who has led Two Rivers for more than 22 years.
The church will pay out the money to Sutton over five years.
Both the pastor other church leaders hope his retirement will end a 14-month conflict with dissident members who sued the church seeking financial records on pastors' salaries and church staff credit card statements. Sutton denied any wrongdoing.
The plaintiffs were ousted from the church on May 12 but the lawsuit continues.