In just a few days the Executive Committee (EC) will present their annual report to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and at least a portion of that report will be embarrassing for them. The official EC response to my motion regarding a possible conflict of interest related to the previous SBC law firm has been published… and it is utterly laughable. The Background I offered the first motion to be brought to the floor of the SBC last year in Nashville regarding what I, and some others, believed to be an apparent conflict of interest concerning our convention’s legal counsel. … [Read more...] about A Devastatingly Deficient Defense: The Sad Response to my “Conflict of Interest” Motion From the Executive Committee
ERLC
Let’s Fire Everyone Opposed to Resolution 9
Let's fire everyone at an SBC entity who is opposed to Resolution 9 of 2019. That's not really a serious proposition, but it is the logical conclusion of a recent string of tweets by SBC presidential hopeful Tom Ascol. At the 2021 convention, Tom's brother Bill presented a resolution on abortion (found here), which includes the language: "RESOLVED, that we affirm that the murder of preborn children is a crime against humanity that must be punished equally under the law." Based on this resolution, Tom Ascol called for the immediate firing of Brent Leatherwood from the ERLC. Leatherwood's … [Read more...] about Let’s Fire Everyone Opposed to Resolution 9
Eight Key Victories in Nashville at #SBC21
#SBC21 is in the books and it's a convention we'll all remember for years to come. I went in unsure of what to expect, and came home encouraged. Here are eight key victories I believe we saw last week in Nashville. 1. Motion for convention-wide voluntary assessment of abuse Leading up to the convention, most attention was on the Gaines/Parrott motion published in the lead up to the Annual Meeting and in the aftermath of the Russell Moore letters. See #2 for more on that motion. But behind the scenes, Todd Benkert had been working for months with counsel from survivor advocates on a plan to … [Read more...] about Eight Key Victories in Nashville at #SBC21
These Additional Steps Needed in SBC EC Investigation
Recently the SBC Executive Committee announced that they had hired Guidepost Solutions to conduct an "independent process assessment" in response to "recent accusations of the inappropriate handling of sexual abuse claims." Response was varied, from affirming to skeptical to critical. The first question was about the firm they hired. Guidepost has handled some high-profile abuse cases recently. While some were skeptical, others praised the organization for its strong track record. Rachael Denhollander, a voice I trust more than any other on this subject, affirmed Guidepost, but relayed … [Read more...] about These Additional Steps Needed in SBC EC Investigation
Addressing the SBC Abuse Crisis — A Needed Next Step
Next week, during the Executive Committee report, Southern Baptists will have the second opportunity to vote to amend our constitution and address the issue of sexual abuse. The constitutional amendment we will voting is worded to provide accountability for churches to respond well to sexual abuse. Thus far, however, the newly founded credentials committee has proved to be ineffective in responding to reports of mishandling of abuse. So to survivors, what it looks like is a big fat nothing. And they’re not wrong. There is no database, not yet any real accountability, and known abusers continue … [Read more...] about Addressing the SBC Abuse Crisis — A Needed Next Step
SBC Whistleblower Report: Southern Baptist leaders on sexual abuse in their own words
This report and letter were released earlier today by Phillip Bethancourt to confirm the accuracy of events as described in Russell Moore's letters that were made public last week. June 10, 2021 To: Mike Stone, Ronnie Floyd CC: Rolland Slade, JD Greear Mike and Ronnie, I am writing to you in regard to your public responses to the recently publicized letters from Russell Moore. Ronnie, you said you “do not have the same recollection” of the events. Mike, your video called Moore’s claims “absolutely slanderous,” “ungodly,” and an “outrageous … [Read more...] about SBC Whistleblower Report: Southern Baptist leaders on sexual abuse in their own words
Russell Moore Letter to SBC President on the Current Crisis in the SBC [Full Text]
May 31, 2021 J.D. Greear President Southern Baptist Convention The Summit Church Durham, North Carolina Dear J.D., As I said to you the other night, you have my prayers as you go into your last Southern Baptist Convention meeting as president in a historically long—and even more historically accomplished—presidency. One of the great joys of the last eight years has been working alongside you on issues of monumental importance for the witness of the church. Some of the letter below is almost verbatim what I said to my own board officers last February. … [Read more...] about Russell Moore Letter to SBC President on the Current Crisis in the SBC [Full Text]
What Kind of Report is This? The EC Task Force Report on the ERLC (Mike Miller)
I’m writing this the day after the ERLC Study Task Force released its unanimous report of its work and findings. The Task Force was charged with reviewing the “past and present activities of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission” to determine whether its actions are proving to be detrimental to Cooperative Program giving. Their conclusion is that the ERLC and its president Russell Moore have indeed negatively affected the Cooperative Program bottom line. Giving First, the report goes to great lengths to prove that the actions of Moore and the ERLC have caused some to stop giving to … [Read more...] about What Kind of Report is This? The EC Task Force Report on the ERLC (Mike Miller)
Examining the Work of EC Chairman Mike Stone
ERLC Responds Powerfully to Mike Stone and EC Task Force
In a statement just posted at ERLC.com, the ERLC trustees address the actions taken by the SBC Executive Committee during Tuesday's meeting. Full Text Below: Letter from the ERLC Executive Committee Feb 20, 2020 Dear Chairman Stone and Members of the Executive Committee, As convictional and grateful Southern Baptists, we would like to thank every member of the Executive Committee for their service to the Southern Baptist Convention. Our convention is indebted to all who take time to do the unglamorous but vital work of serving on our various boards and … [Read more...] about ERLC Responds Powerfully to Mike Stone and EC Task Force