Tuesday, February 13, 2001, about 8:20 am (CST)
[Transmission was delayed by twenty minutes due to a fax error.]

Marie Ann O'Hara
Bolivar, MO 65613

The Entire Southwest Baptist University Board of Trustees
In the care of:
Southwest Baptist University
SBU President, C. Pat Taylor
Bolivar, MO 65613

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen of the SBU Board of Trustees:

If I had written this letter yesterday, this would have
been a thoroughly different letter.

I was wakened in the earliest morning with a question:
"What is at the heart of this problem?"

While I could wax philosophical and ponder mankind's
capacity for corruption, bigotry, greed, tyranny, or
violence, I think the answer to this dilemma is more
mundane: Your attorney, Gary Lynch, has deceived you.

As you have no doubt already inferred for yourselves,
Mr. Lynch has mislead you about the facts, events,
and evidence involved in this situation.

Why did he do this?

Again, I could digress into philosophizing, but I
believe that the answer is as simple -- and complex --
as the human heart.

Mr. Lynch allowed himself to be deceived by his own
preconceived prejudices, manipulated by the fears
and falsehoods of others, and betrayed and mislead
by the insecurities and failings of his own heart.

Having once begun down this path, even if (or when)
he realized the depth of his own mistaken judgment
and the error of his own heart, he believed a viable
and honorable retreat was impossible for him.

Mr. Lynch was deceived ... and so deceived others.

My intent is not, and never has been, to deceive.

I have examined my own heart and motives and have
not asked that recompense be granted to me for these
various injuries out of any impure motive.

I do not want what is not mine.

Having considered this, I would like to propose a
"truce" of ten (10) days duration.

Before you adjourn your meeting today, I ask that
you call Mr. Lynch before you, lay your hands on
him, and pray for him.

In effect, I am asking that you "commission" Mr. Lynch.

Commission Mr. Lynch to amend this situation, to re-
evaluate his actions, to review the information which
he has at his disposal, and to report back to the Board,
at the end of these ten days, whether I, in fact, have
just cause -- before God -- to request compensation
from Southwest Baptist University and its associates.

During this ten day period, I must address several
outstanding issues. For this purpose, I have prepared
five (5) letters for the SBU Board of Trustees and the
Missouri Baptist Convention Executive Board.

Over the next ten days, I will be faxing and e-mailing
these letters directly to Dr. Taylor's office and to
the office of Mr. Jim Hill, the Executive Director of
the Missouri Baptist Convention.

I will then send a signed copy of each letter to Dr.
C. Pat Taylor and Mr. Jim Hill. I ask that these
letters be sent (by fax or e-mail) directly to each
of the SBU Trustees and to each member of the
Executive Board.

At the end of ten days' time, on February 23, 2001,
I will contact Dr. C. Pat Taylor.

If Mr. Lynch, through his prayerful reconsideration,
has determined that compensation is due me, I will
have my representatives contact Dr. C. Pat Taylor
to negotiate the nature and substance of that
compensation.

If no resolution is reached at that time, I will
continue to seek compensation by other means.

For some time now, I have had a number of disparate
options open to me. In the hope of achieving a
peaceful resolution, I have chosen not to exercise
these alternatives up until this point.

If we should fail to reach a compromise within this
ten day period, these alternative options must, of
necessity, be implemented immediately.



In the redemption and hope of Christ,



Marie Ann O'Hara