I was watching the machinations of the Executive Committee Tuesday as they tried to reach an agreement about how to proceed on the recommendations of the Sexual Abuse Task Force. There was a recommendation that was going to let the staff handle negotiations in coordination with the EC officers, working out an agreement with Guidepost and the Task Force. A series of amendments and substitute motions followed until finally one motion was adopted, cobbled from the floor from a recommendation by a woman (they did not identify themselves – I think her name was Melissa?). They made several changes to the wording and then finally voted on the text below.
Note the wording here, which changed from the original motion advocated by Ronnie Floyd. It requests that the Task Force and the EC Officers seek to agree on a contract in 7 days. It does not authorize Ronnie Floyd or the EC Staff to be involved in that process. Nowhere is staff given the authority to be involved in this process.
I don’t know the ins and outs of Executive Committee operation – SBC polity is more complicated than brain surgery, I am convinced. However, other motions spelled out that the STAFF AND OFFICERS would participate together in the process while this ONLY authorizes the officers to be involved.
- Was this intentional?
- Does this wording preclude Ronnie Floyd from interjecting himself into the discussions and seeking to control the efforts to negotiate a contract?
The strictest interpretation of the motion says that the OFFICERS are the ones who were given the task of negotiating this agreement. If that is what was voted by the EC, should not that be what is done?
Yes, my friends, we are living in interesting times!
