The Executive Committee met two weeks ago in Nashville. It’s no secret that the Executive Committee has come under fire in recent years amid charges (which have not been proven) of covering up sexual abuse cases in the Southern Baptist Convention.
The Executive Committee, which acts on behalf of the convention between sessions, has been without a president/CEO since October of 2021. EC members voted down one prospective candidate due to how the process which led to his nomination was handled by the first search committee.
A leading candidate who had been serving in an interim role (Willie McLaurin) disqualified himself because he was dishonest about his educational background and credentials.
A new candidate emerged and the EC was scheduled to vote on Thomas Hammond, executive director of the Georgia Baptist Convention, in February. But he withdrew just weeks before the scheduled vote.
Ever since Ronnie Floyd resigned in 2021 amid the sexual abuse crisis in the convention, the EC has been trying to restore credibility. In fact, that was the rallying cry of the first search committee. So far it has not happened.
In February, the EC went into executive session (which means everyone was asked to leave the room except EC members) for about seven hours, including both plenary and committee sessions.
For the most part, I have spoken against meetings being held in executive session throughout my almost 36 years with the Baptist and Reflector. Baptist editors over the years have long advocated, “Tell the truth and trust the people.”
One of the topics that was discussed by the finances and stewardship development committee was the issue of transparency by asking SBC entities to provide additional financial information and to have it reported in the Book of Reports. See “SBC Executive Committee delays decision on requiring more transparency from entities” at baptistandreflector.org.
After hearing from one of the two messengers who made a motion at the SBC last year in New Orleans, the committee chose to go into executive session. Keep in mind this was in a setting where background rules apply: “No direct quotation of any matter or no implied or direct attribution to any person.”
I sat in that meeting with a couple of other journalists. I knew the rules. Unless someone talked to us outside that meeting, we couldn’t report it. When they went into the executive session, Jennifer Rash of The Alabama Baptist and I were able to talk with the South Carolina pastor (referenced in article above).
During the interview, the pastor (Rhett Burns of First Baptist Church, Travelers Rest) noted that while he understood their desire for an executive session, it was “odd to talk about transparency behind closed doors.”
He is not the only one who had that thought. I had it as did other people who were asked to leave the meeting.
It is time that Southern Baptist leaders (those entrusted with making decisions at the entity level) come to grips with the reality that “the people in the pews” have a right to know what is happening within the institutions they support through their tithes and offerings.
One reason this has become an issue is that some SBC leaders have ridiculed messengers who have tried to make such motions or requests for information from the floor of the convention.
Until that happens, the convention will operate in a spirit of distrust.
Burns said it well in our interview: “I would like for us to move forward with trust. I would like for us to rebuild and restore trust because we don’t have it right now. As long as we operate with less than minimum transparency, I don’t think we’re going to have trust.”
So true. I believe God still has a plan for Southern Baptists. He is not through with us yet, but we are imploding from within. That needs to stop.
Be in prayer for the SBC Executive Committee. We have good people on that committee representing Tennessee. See photo on page one. I know three of them really well and I know people who I trust who know the other two and think highly of them. They will make the right decisions if given the proper information.
The EC search commitee announced March 1 that Jeff Iorg will be considered as the nominee for president and CEO of the Executive Committee when the EC meets on March 21 in Dallas. See Davis column below and full story at baptistandreflector.org.
If he is elected, pray that God will use him to restore the trust and transparency that is lacking. We need it now more than ever before. B&R