BRANSON – Messengers to the Missouri Baptist Convention annual meeting submitted three motions to the body urging action on racial reconciliation, the prevention of sexual abuse, and denouncing a resolution on critical race theory made at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting this summer.
Motion No. 1 was submitted by Daniel Carr, a messenger from Canaan Baptist Church, St. Louis. He moved “that the Executive Board of the MBC create a task force with the purpose of developing a plan to be implemented by the MBC toward racial reconciliation and greater diversity in leadership by examining the MBC’s history as it relates to racial issues, creating avenues for education and greater understanding of this issue for churches, and developing a plan for greater inclusion and diversity in the leadership of the Convention, especially on the Executive Board and the boards of our entities.” The motion was referred to the Executive Board for a report at the Annual Meeting, October 2020.
Motion No. 2 was submitted by Scott Gordon, a messenger from Claycomo Baptist Church, Kansas City. He moved that messengers “request our president and executive board to publicly take intentional steps to encourage our churches (1) to address the issue of sexual abuse, (2) to utilize the training and conference materials on sexual abuse provided by the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, and (3) to accept the Caring Well Challenge set forth by the SBC Sexual Abuse Advisory Group.” The motion was referred to the Executive Board for a report at the Annual Meeting, October 2020.
Motion No. 3 was submitted by Brad Haines, a messenger from Southview Baptist, Raytown. He moved that “Resolution No. 9 as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention held in Birmingham on June 12, 2019 be rejected and disavowed by Missouri Southern Baptists as unnecessary and self-contradictory, and of no value informing Missouri Southern Baptists on the issue of racial reconciliation.” It was ruled that the motion was in the nature of a resolution and was not in order according to MBC Bylaw 6h.