‘It’s a relief’: Lawsuit detailing power struggle within Myrtle Beach church dismissed
A monthslong power struggle that appeared to be clouding the future of one of Myrtle Beach’s largest churches has been resolved.
Beach Church’s former leaders, known as elders, filed a lawsuit in September against a group of active church members and their former pastor alleging a conspiracy to force the elders out and take control of the church for themselves.
That lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed by the former elders Monday, ahead of a planned hearing on the defendants’ motion to dismiss, according to attorneys for both parties.
“It’s a relief not just for me and my family, but more importantly the church,” said Jarrett Hucks, a member of Beach Church’s interim board and one of the defendants.
“This isn’t about winning and losing. It’s about continuing to do God’s work ... and we’re excited to be moving forward.”
Hucks, who also serves as the ministry’s creative arts director, pointed to important mission work in Mexico and Puerto Rico, volunteer food drives and Celebrate Recovery, the Christ-centered 12-step recovery program for those suffering from drug and alcohol addiction.
Joseph DiCostanzo, one of the former elders, said they never wanted to turn to the legal system but wanted to ensure the preservation of the ministry, and they feel now is the time to “heal from division.”
“We’re continuing to pray (Beach Church) will prosper,” he said. “We love them and wish them well.”
Voicemail messages left for several other of the former church elders were not immediately returned, but attorney Reese Boyd, who represented them in the case, told The Sun News that they’re pleased to have reached a resolution and hopeful they can all move forward “in a unified manner.”
Boyd noted that a recent announcement from Todd Elliott, the church’s former senior pastor, that he would not seek to regain his old position was key to their decision to dismiss the suit. DiCostanzo clarified that wasn’t his primary reason, but rather just wanting to move forward.
A pastoral search committee is still in the early stages of finding a full-time replacement, according to Hucks.
Elliott, who was the church’s pastor for 14 years, did not immediately return a voicemail message seeking comment.
Lawsuit details
Issues within the church stemmed from ongoing disagreements between Elliott and the Board of Elders over organizational structure, resulting in Elliott resigning last July, according to court filings.
DiCostanzo said arguments were primarily over whether to continue with an elder-led church or move to a pastor-led model.
A large portion of Beach Church’s congregation, frustrated with the decision to push out Elliott, then pressured the elders to resign, and they did via email just days after Elliott announced his resignation, court filings show.
A group of active church members and staff then formed a temporary “transition team” to bring all the members together and plan how Beach Church would move forward.
The former elders filing the lawsuit alleged their resignations were never formally accepted and therefore voided. They accused Elliott of conspiring with members of the transition team to place him at the head of the church.
Elliott allegedly helped organize a “resistance” effort, which partly played out on social media through an anonymous user named “Joe Beach,” according to a church member’s affidavit.
That was in direct violation of Elliott’s severance agreement, which restricted him from disparaging the church or its elders, according to the lawsuit.
Elliott denied that he violated any terms of the agreement in a sworn affidavit attached to the case.
DiCostanzo said he and other former elders have tried to be involved in the healing process now taking place, but those offers haven’t been accepted.
“There’s a lot of hurt feelings, and we don’t feel welcomed,” he said.
Beach Church history
The nondenominational Beach Church was first formed in 1992 and moved into its current building along Fantasy Harbor in 1999, according to its website.
The nearly 8-acre property at 557 George Bishop Parkway was purchased for $3 million, according to Horry County land records.
The congregation currently includes about 800 members, Hucks estimated, admitting that some members were unfortunately lost amid the confusion surrounding the lawsuit.
Beach Church was previously named one of America’s top 100 fastest growing churches, coming in at number 83 on the Outreach 100 list in 2019. The church magazine’s website lists the Myrtle Beach church’s attendance as 1,658.
John Perry, a longtime Beach Church member, said attendance has started to rebound, and he was relieved to learn that the lawsuit was being dropped.
“Sometimes we go through things in life, and it ends up making us better,” he said. “We hope this will only make us stronger.”
