NASHVILLE (BP) – D. August "Augie" Boto has announced he will retire from the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee effective Sept. 30. Boto, the EC's executive vice president and general counsel, notified EC President and CEO Ronnie Floyd of his retirement in a July 18 letter. His retirement brings his service "full circle," Boto told Baptist Press, having joined the EC as a member in 1995, the same year Floyd began his 1995-1997 service as EC chairman. Boto, 68, … [Read more...]

BIRMINGHAM (BP) – "Kingdom Character" was the theme of Monday afternoon's and evening's 2019 Southern Baptist Convention Pastors' Conference (June 10). The focus, from Matthew 5, was on the last three Beatitudes and being salt and light. Pastors also elected David Uth, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Orlando, Fla., as president of the 2020 SBC Pastors' Conference during Monday afternoon's session, held in conjunction with the SBC's annual meeting in Birmingham June … [Read more...]

BIRMINGHAM (BP) – Eighteen of the 23 motions by messengers at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting here – including one motion by a Missourian – were referred to SBC committees or entities; five were ruled out of order. The Committee on Order of Business made the recommendations to messengers during the SBC’s June 11-12 meeting. Referred to all entities: • A motion by Matt Dunn of First Baptist Church in Bates City, Mo., that the convention convene a study committee to update … [Read more...]

BIRMINGHAM (BP) – By overwhelming votes, Southern Baptists strengthened their stances against sexual abuse and racism during the opening day of their June 11-12 SBC annual meeting in Birmingham, Ala. Ronnie Floyd, president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, told messengers after their votes, “I believe this is a very significant moment in the history of the Southern Baptist Convention. And I believe that every one of us needs to thank God for this moment.” Messengers raised booklets … [Read more...]

BIRMINGHAM – The Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting drew 8,091 messengers to Birmingham June 11-12, including 263 from Missouri’s Baptist churches – the 11th largest delegation. The unofficial messenger total is slightly less than last year’s 9,637 in Dallas. There were 1,941 registered guests plus hundreds of exhibitors, bringing the total crowd to more than 10,000. This was just the second time the annual meeting has come to Birmingham; the first time, in 1941, saw an … [Read more...]