Poole v. North Ga. Conference of the Methodist Church Inc.

Greg Poole sued North Georgia Conference of the Methodist Church “North Georgia Conference”, Sixes United Methodist Church “Sixes United”, and Daniel R. Warren for damages arising out of a breach of a confidential relationship by Warren, who, while acting as Poole’s pastor at Sixes United, allegedly maintained a clandestine sexual relationship with Poole’s wife while simultaneously counseling Poole regarding his marital problems. The trial court granted North Georgia Conference’s and Sixes United’s motion for summary judgment on Poole’s claims of negligent hiring, negligent supervision, and negligent retention. Poole appeals, and we affirm because no genuine issues of fact remain for a jury, and North Georgia Conference and Sixes United are entitled to judgment as a matter of law. To prevail on a motion for summary judgment, the moving party must demonstrate that there is no genuine issue of material fact, and that the undisputed facts, viewed in a light most favorable to the party opposing the motion, warrant judgment as a matter of law.1 Our review of a grant of summary judgment is de novo, and we view the evidence and all reasonable inferences drawn from it in the light most favorable to the nonmovant.2

So viewed, the evidence shows that Warren received his masters degree in Church Music in 1977, and worked in a music-related capacity with several Baptist churches from 1977 through 1993. In 1993, Warren applied for an appointment as a Methodist minister with the North Georgia Conference. The North Georgia Conference appointed Warren as a student pastor at Sixes United in May of 1993. Warren was appointed probationary pastor in 1994 and full pastor in 1995.