NASHVILLE (BP) — Willie McLaurin has stepped down as interim president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee and is no longer considered to be a candidate for that position by the presidential search team. McLaurin confessed to EC Chairman Phillip Robertson and EC Presidential Search Committee Chairman Neal Hughes Aug. 17 that the education credentials on his resume were forgeries. In an email statement to EC members shared with Baptist Press, Robertson said, “While considering … [Read more...]
Independence church becomes smaller, leaner, more effective
INDEPENDENCE (BP) – Ten years ago Brian Grout accepted a call to be the pastor for what would soon become The Church at Three Trails. Approximately 200 people were on the membership role. That number has dropped by half since then. On the surface it can appear to be a negative, but the surface hardly tells the whole story. When Grout arrived, the church hadn’t baptized anyone in at least five years, but there have been approximately 55 since. Attendance hovered at 15 to start. Now it is … [Read more...]
Know your community and be a part of it, says radio Hall of Famer Dick Bott
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BP) – Missouri Southern Baptist Dick Bott has always believed in the importance of community and the power of radio to deliver those connections, particularly when it comes to sharing the Gospel. The Bott Radio Network began in 1962 when he and his wife, Sherley, purchased a country music station in Kansas City, Mo. and promptly changed it to Christian programming. The country music station enjoyed a large audience, but was losing money due to mismanagement, Bott … [Read more...]
Southern Baptists pass first approval of constitutional amendment over women pastors
NEW ORLEANS, La. (BP) — A motion to clarify Southern Baptists’ stance on women and men filling the role of pastor was passed by messengers on June 14. The motion, first brought last year by Virginia pastor Mike Law, received the required two-thirds vote by messengers. Another two-thirds vote of approval is necessary at next year’s annual meeting to proceed with the amendment to Article III of the SBC Constitution. The motion that was passed was amended from its original version, which … [Read more...]
SBC Executive Committee forwards Law amendment to messengers, elects new officers
NEW ORLEANS (BP) – Executive Committee members approved a recommendation at their June 11 meeting to place a motion before messengers concerning whether churches that have women pastors should be considered outside the bounds of cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention. The motion, introduced to messengers at last year’s SBC annual meeting by Virginia pastor Mike Law, calls for an amendment to the SBC Constitution whereby a sixth identifier would be placed to Article III, … [Read more...]
Southwestern board releases ‘summary of findings’ over presidential spending
FORT WORTH (BP) – Former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Adam Greenway “engaged in a pattern of spending that … did not reflect proper stewardship of seminary resources” and was “without deference to financial controls and seminary financial policies,” according to a statement released by the school today (June 7). The statement comes after a May 30 special called trustee meeting where officers were requested to publish a summary of expenditures “related to the … [Read more...]
In special session, SWBTS board passes four motions in response to trustees’ claims
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was updated after publication to reflect that Aaron Sliger joined the task force appointed to conduct a financial investigation at SWBTS in March, not at its origin in October. A SWBTS spokesperson also told Baptist Press that Sligar did not lead the task force. FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) — In a special called meeting, May 30, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary trustees approved a motion “to publish the audited financials as one comprehensive report” from a … [Read more...]
Rise in antisemitism should prompt evangelism, Messianic Fellowship director says
EVANSTON, Ill. (BP) – Ric Worshill remembers the beatings he endured his eighth grade year. They always happened in the same place as he walked to Hebrew school. He remembers the humiliation. He remembers the perpetrators as attendees of the “religious school” (he won’t give the name). He remembers being confused because, as he puts it, “They were supposed to be Christians.” Worshill identifies as a Jew who recognizes Jesus as the Messiah. And as a North American Mission … [Read more...]
Barber, Wellman issue statement on proposed constitutional amendment
NASHVILLE (BP) — A commitment to affirming Southern Baptist polity and the Baptist Faith and Message remains central during a discussion over women serving as pastors, say Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Executive Committee Chairman Jared Wellman and SBC President Bart Barber in a joint statement. “Both of us have the responsibility to protect the messengers’ rights, answer the messengers’ questions and implement the messengers’ instructions,” reads the statement issued Wednesday (Nov. … [Read more...]
Saddleback pastor says he encourages women to preach, ‘doesn’t want to engage in denominational battles’
LAKE FOREST, Calif. (BP) – Lead Pastor Andy Wood anticipates that the number of women clergy will grow at Saddleback Church, something that will certainly heighten the discussion over the congregation and its fellowship with the Southern Baptist Convention. On Oct. 9, Wood’s wife, Stacie, preached a message at the church titled “The Courage to Slow Down” where she was listed as “teaching pastor” on the screen. In Andy Wood’s bio on the church website’s leadership page, he and his wife … [Read more...]
Missouri pastor’s wife dies in auto crash
NEW MADRID (BP) – Heather Polk, a nurse practitioner who used her expertise on medical mission trips, died Sept. 7 in a two-car collision as she returned home from work. Polk’s husband, Jeff, is pastor of New Madrid Baptist Church. The accident occurred at the junction of highway 61 and I-55 in New Madrid. A 19-year-old driver in a 2012 Chevrolet Cruz failed to yield and collided with Polk’s 2012 Mazda as she returned from her shift in Dexter, Mo. Polk was pronounced dead at the … [Read more...]
Convention leaders respond to DOJ investigation of SBC
NASHVILLE (BP) – The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee has been informed that the United States Department of Justice has initiated an investigation into the SBC that will include “multiple SBC entities,” according to an Aug. 12 statement from all SBC entity leaders and SBC President Bart Barber. “Individually and collectively, each SBC entity is resolved to fully and completely cooperate with the investigation,” the statement said. The announcement comes two months … [Read more...]
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