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...]
2022 SBC Annual available online
NASHVILLE (BP) – John Yeats, who served 25 years as Southern Baptist Convention recording secretary, describes the SBC Annual as “one big aggregation” of all that Southern Baptists accomplish in the span of two days each June. “Of course, everything that happens in the annual meeting, as far as dialogue is concerned and that sort of thing, doesn’t necessarily have to be recorded,” Yeats said. “It’s not news reporting; it is more process reporting … what takes place at the annual … [Read more...]
‘We Proclaim Him’ focuses pastors on mission of gospel ministry
ANAHEIM, Calif. (BP) – Mark Clifton opened the 2022 SBC Pastors’ Conference by reminding shepherds of local congregations that there are no unimportant churches and no unimportant places. With the theme “We Proclaim Him,” speakers walked through Colossians, a letter written by the apostle Paul to the church in Colossae, a small town, that could encourage any pastor wondering if his ministry matters. Matt Henslee, president of the 2022 conference, said his hope was that the worship and … [Read more...]
Send Relief establishes fund to support survivors of sexual abuse
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Following the recent report that addressed how Southern Baptists have handled sexual abuse allegations in the past, Send Relief is seeking to be a part of the solution by establishing a survivor care fund. Send Relief, the compassion ministry arm of the Southern Baptist Convention of churches, committed $3 million in funding to the SBC’s Executive Committee ahead of the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting to be put toward the cost of implementing recommendations approved by … [Read more...]
Motions at annual meeting range from addressing sexual abuse reforms to entity responsibilities
ANAHEIM (BP) – Several motions presented at the annual meeting related to sexual abuse care and prevention in addition to other subjects of interest to Southern Baptists. One required extended discussion by messengers. That motion, brought by Joshua Scruggs of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Jacksonville, N.C., to abolish the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, was defeated by a sizable margin. The Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force, yet to be formed by new SBC President Bart … [Read more...]
SATF shares expectations for implementation task force
NASHVILLE (BP) — The work of a yet-to-be-appointed Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force (ARITF) is likely to take years, with an initial report ordered to be given at the 2023 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in New Orleans next June. Marshall Blalock, vice chairman of the Sex Abuse Task Force (SATF) that recommended the new group, said guidelines are in place to allow as long as three years for some of the work. “We anticipated it would take the implementation task force … [Read more...]
‘Take courage,’ Rothschild tells ministers’ wives
ANAHEIM, Calif. (BP) – Blindness must be really hard, Missouri Baptist church member Jennifer Rothschild said, repeating her future daughter-in-law’s words to her. “It is very hard,” Rothschild responded, “but earth is short, and heaven is long.” Rothschild – a member of Second Baptist Church, Springfield, Mo., who spoke at the 2022 SBC Ministers’ Wives Luncheon at the Anaheim Marriott Hotel on June 14 – lost her sight at the age of 15 due to a rare form of Retinitis Pigmentosa, a … [Read more...]
SBC resolutions affirm rural missions, denounce prosperity gospel, address sexual abuse
ANAHEIM, Calif. (BP) – Resolutions affirming the mission field in rural America, denouncing the preaching of the prosperity gospel, calling for an end to the war in Ukraine, and addressing sexual abuse were among those adopted by messengers to the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif., June 14-15. Messengers approved language noting that Jesus “regularly identified Himself with rural and small places like Nazareth,” more than 75 percent of all towns and cities in the United States are … [Read more...]
Southern Baptist messengers approve Sexual Abuse Task Force recommendations
ANAHEIM (BP) – Southern Baptists responded with an overwhelming majority in favor of adopting the two recommendations presented by the Sexual Abuse Task Force presented June 14 at the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting. Task Force chair Bruce Frank didn’t mince words with messengers, calling it a “Kairos moment” for the Convention. After a lot of talk, actions were about to speak loudest. “Today we will choose between humility or hubris,” he said. “We will choose between genuine repentance or … [Read more...]
Slate of new SBC officers includes first new recording secretary in 25 years
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article includes additional reporting by Pathway staff. ANAHEIM, Calif. (BP) – Southern Baptist messengers elected a new slate of officers during their annual meeting here, June 14-15. The new slate of officers includes Missouri Baptist minister Don Currence, who was elected once again to serve as the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) registration secretary (Read more below). It also included, for the first time in 25 years, a new recording secretary. During … [Read more...]
Barber elected SBC president after runoff
ANAHEIM, Calif. (BP) – Texas pastor Bart Barber won a run-off election for president of the Southern Baptist Convention Tuesday (June 14) evening at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. Out of 5,587 votes cast, Barber received 3,401 (60.87 percent) and Florida pastor Tom Ascol received 2,172 votes (38.88 percent). Fourteen ballots were disallowed. A run-off election is required when a candidate does not garner 50 percent of the vote. In the first election, Barber received … [Read more...]
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