Members of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention,
As faithful members of Southern Baptist churches across the United States and messengers to the 2021 annual meeting in Nashville, we write to express our frustration and disappointment with the recent actions of the Executive Committee. In June, over 15,000 messengers spoke with near-unanimous clarity by adopting the “Motion to Investigate the SBC Executive Committee.” The messengers were clear when they moved, “that the task force agree to the accepted best-standards and practices as recommended by the commissioned third-party, including but not limited to the Executive Committee staff and members waiving attorney client privilege in order to ensure full access to information and accuracy in the review.”
However, the recent meetings on September 20th, 21st, and 28th have demonstrated the committee’s refusal to follow the clear and expressed will of the messengers. The rejection of the messengers’ will is a repudiation of our SBC polity that endangers our continued cooperation for the sake of the gospel, and your committee’s lack of compliance is a violation of your fiduciary responsibilities as entrusted to you by the messengers.
We stand with EC members who have acted righteously on behalf of the survivors. We stand with the Task Force in their desire to fulfill the messengers’ will. We stand with Chairman Slade and President Litton in their commitment to do justice. And more importantly, we stand with the survivors of sexual abuse, whose courage speaks loudly over the silence of the EC leadership, by reaffirming our mandate from more than 100 days ago.
We pray that you will do the will of the messengers as expressed in the adopted motion, but more importantly we pray that you will defend these survivors who desire justice. Your failure to do so will not only endanger our polity; it also brings significant harm and revictimization to those who have already suffered so much. Please, do the right thing.
Signed,
Jay Adkins
Senior Pastor
FBC Westwego, New Orleans, LA
Bart Barber
Senior Pastor
First Baptist Church Farmersville, Farmersville, TX
Todd Benkert
Lead Pastor
Oak Creek Community Church, Mishawaka, IN
Michael Cooper
Lead Pastor
Grace Community Church, Mabank, TX
Drew Erickson
Senior Pastor
Travis Avenue Baptist Church, Fort Worth, TX
Grant Gaines
Senior Pastor
Belle Aire Baptist Church, Murfreesboro, TN
Scott Gordon
Senior Pastor
Claycomo Baptist Church, Kansas City, MO
Brent Hobbs
Lead Pastor
New Song Fellowship, Virginia Beach, VA
Mike Leake
Lead Pastor
Calvary of Neosho, MO
Michael Linton
Senior Pastor
First Baptist Church Sulphur, Sulphur, LA
Dave Miller
Senior Pastor
Southern Hills Baptist Church, Sioux City, IA
Allen Murray
Pastor
Centerville Baptist Church, Kelly, NC
Dr. Rob Pochek
Senior Pastor
FBC Charlottesville, VA
Dr. David Uth
Senior Pastor
FBC Orlando, Orlando FL
Adam Blosser
Pastor
Goshen Baptist Church, Spotsylvania VA
Willy Rice,
Calvary Church
Clearwater, Florida
Wm. Dwight Mckissic, Sr
Senior Pastor
Cornerstone Baptist Church
Arlington, Texas
Barry Creamer
President, Criswell College
Member, Lake Highlands Baptist Church
Brent Epling
Member
Resurrection Church, Charleston, WV
Ryan Brice
Lead Pastor
Nansemond River Baptist Church, Suffolk, VA
Malcolm Yarnell
Teaching Pastor
Lakeside Baptist Church of Granbury, Texas
Joseph Giles, Jr.
Lead Pastor
Berkeley Baptist Church
Berkeley Springs, WV
John Wallace
Pastor, True Hope Community Church, Campbell CA
Messenger to the 2021 SBC
DJ Jenkins
Lead Pastor
Anthology Church of Studio City, Studio City, California
Rich Starnes
Member
Visio Dei Church
Jefferson City, MO
Aaron Swain
Pastor of Students & Operations
Freedom Church – Lincolnton, NC
Darren Casper
Association Mission Strategist
Saint Louis Metro Baptist Association, St. Louis, Missouri
Sean McMahon
Executive Director, Florida Baptist Association
Member, City Church, Tallahassee, Florida
Debbie Kaufman
Messenger at 2018 meeting.
Member Emmanuel Church, Enid, OK
Tracy Simmons
Lead Pastor; 2 term President Alaska Baptist Convention 2019-2020
Christ Community Church, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Jeff Estes
Pastor/Church Planter
TrueHope Church
Sheridan, Arkansas
Laverne Young Smith
Member and Messenger to 2021 SBC Annual Meeting
Forest Baptist Church
Forest, Virginia
Andrew Hackler
Lead Pastor
Cassville Baptist Church – Cassville, GA
Mark Sims
Pastor
First Baptist Church, Perrin, TX
Jim Perry
Member
Eastern Heights Baptist Church
Jeffersonville, IN
Trevor Bulls
Pastor
First Baptist Church
Boise City, Oklahoma
Bryan L. Kent
Lead Pastor
Compass Church – Mason, Michigan
Bryan Cawley
Lead Pastor
First Baptist Church, Mason TX
Brady Collier
Lead Pastor
First Baptist Church, Taylor, TX
Frank Stratton
Pastor
Park City Baptist Church
Park City, KY
Josh Howell
Pastor
Grace Baptist Church, Pikeville Kentucky
Stephen Ammons
Pastor
Meadowbrook Baptist Church
Rockdale, TX
Scott Douglas
Senior Pastor
Emmanuel Baptist Church, Parrish FL
Toni Stevens
Member- Cedar Bluff Baptist Church
Falcon, MO
Richard Nations,
Director of Missions,
Thousand Hills Baptist Association, Kirksville, Missouri.
Jessica Alldredge
Messenger and Survivor
First Baptist Church
Oregon, Oh
Eric Sherwood, Pastor,
Gore Springs Baptist Church,
Gore Springs, MS
Shawn Nichols
Senior Pastor
Wilmont Place Baptist Church, Oklahoma City, OK
Dusty Marshall
Pastor
The Well, Alamogordo, New Mexico
Zach Van Gieson
Pastor-Lakeview Baptist Church
Oxford, AL
Christopher Cole
Lead Pastor
Redeemer Baptist Church, Paso Robles, CA
Darren Gaddis
Senior Pastor
FBC Ocala, Ocala, FL
Jay Cook
Pastor
First Baptist Church, Canton, MS
And Messenger to the 2021 SBC
Chris Castillo, Member,
Redemption Story Church
Caleb Gibson
Pastor
Salem Community Baptist Church
Whitakers, NC
David Hutton, Equipping Pastor
Living Hope Baptist Church in College Station, Texas
Steve McClain
Pastor
Hickory Creek Baptist Church – Lowell Arkansas
R. Benjamin Curlee
Lead Pastor
Lineville Baptist Church
Lineville, AL
Rob Walker
Pastor
New Hope Baptist Church
Creswell, OR
Troy Bush
Senior Pastor
Rehoboth Baptist Church, Tucker, GA
Shannon Bond
Pastor
Cherokee Baptist Church
Cherokee, Texas
Pastor Tim Nussbaumer
Point Community Church
Somerset, NJ
Bruce Morrison
Associate Pastor
Church at the Butte
Elephant Butte, NM
Dale Pugh
Pastor
Huckabay Baptist Church
Stephenville, TX
Matt Crawford
Senior Pastor
Trinity Baptist Church, Cordova, Tennessee
Alex Sowell
Pastor
North Brewton Baptist Church, Brewton AL
Benjamin Chapman
FBC Perryville
K.V. Paxton
Chris Roberson
Senior Pastor
Pine Street Baptist Church
Guyton, Georgia
Shawn Dobbins
Senior Pastor
Hebron Baptist Church, Hebron KY
Stephen R. Jones, Pastor
Central Baptist Church
Alameda, California
Brian King
Lead Pastor
Harvest Community Church
Eugene, Oregon
Michael White
Lead Pastor
Freedom Church, Lincolnton, NC
BJ McCurdy
Lead Pastor
New Shores Church, Sweeny, TX
Chad Phelan
Pastor: Ebenezer Baptist Church
Greenbrier, TN
Joshua Goepfrich
Pastor
Hilltop Community Church, Warsaw, IN
Tracy Watson
Pastor, Padre Island Baptist Church
Corpus Christi, Texas
John Babri
Pastor
Fellowship Baptist Church
Saline, MI
Matthew Johnson
Associate Pastor,
Highland Hills Baptist Church
Henderson, NV
Dr. Ben Hayes, Senior Pastor
First Baptist Church
Dadeville, Alabama
C.J. Adkins
Senior Pastor
Westmoreland Baptist Church
Huntington, WV
John Fariss,
Retired Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church, Waldorf, MD;
Johnny Hutchison
Pastor
Highland Drive Baptist Church
Jonesboro, Arkansas
Jared Chasteen
Pastor
Cross Fellowship Church, Overland Park, KS
John Sypert
Pastor
Preston Highlands Baptist Church
Dallas, Texas
C. Fred Smith
Member: Forest Baptist Church, Forest VA
Messenger at the 2021 Nashville SBC Meeting
Steve Fehrman,
Sr. Pastor,
Southern Calvert Baptist Church, Lusby Maryland
Bryan McClelland
Pastor
First Southern Baptist Church
Williamsport, PA
Charles Anderson,
SBC Member,
Lakeland FL
Josh Gussler
Associate Pastor
FBC Umatilla, FL
Ben Howard
Senior Pastor
Yokohama International Baptist Church
Yokohama Japan
Dr. Curtis J. Dupree
Pastor
Brassfield Baptist Church, Creedmoor, NC
Amy Downey
Member of Needham Road Baptist Church and President of Tzedakah Ministries, Inc.
Waxahachie, TX
Jim Drake
Pastor and Messenger
Parkview Baptist Church, Bluefield, VA
Nate Click
Senior Pastor
Heritage Baptist Church, Monroe, MI
Christian Jernigan
Member
South Durham Church, Durham NC
Brian Green
Member
Calvary Church, Clearwater, FL
Justin Owens
Elder
Three Rivers Church – Rome, GA
Jonathan Sorensen
Senior Pastor
Cowarts Baptist Church, Cowarts AL
Mike Jamison
Associate Pastor
Oak Creek Community Church, Mishawaka, IN
Kevin Moore
Pastor
Mount Zion Baptist Church, Huntsville Alabama
Joshua Meranda
Associate Pastor
Open Door Church, Columbia, MO
Brian Baker
Pastor
First Baptist Church, Marceline, Missouri
Jeff Buchold
Pastor
Fincastle Baptist Church, Fincastle, OH
Scott Davis
Pastor
Northside Baptist, Rock Hill, SC
Anthony Rhodes
Senior Pastor
Union Baptist Church, Lexington TN
Dustin Long
Pastor
FBC Kellyville, Kellyville, OK
James Townsend
Senior Pastor
Goodman First Baptist Church
John Roland
Interim pastor (3 years)
Robinwood Baptist, Birmingham, AL
Messenger to 2021 SBC Annual Meeting
Jonathan Greer
Pastor
Franklin Creek Baptist Church, Moss Point, MS
Russell Duncan
Associate Pastor of Missions and Education
Calvary of Neosho, MO
Jonathan Bradley
Pastor
Hopewell Baptist Church, Wellsville, MO.
Michael Wilbanks
Sr. Pastor
Thaxton Baptist Church, Thaxton, MS
Willis Covington
Pastor
Liberty Baptist Church, Springfield, MO
Dr. Casey Williams
Senior Pastor & Elder
North Trenholm Baptist, Columbia SC
David Whitlock, Professor and Bivocational Minister
Michael Denton
Church Replanter
First Baptist Nipomo, Nipomo, CA
Jake Dingler
Youth Pastor
First Baptist Church, Cartwright, OK
Cameron Whaley
Lead Pastor and messenger
Aspen Park Baptist Church, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Ryan West
Senior Pastor
First Baptist Church, Steele, Missouri
Roland L. McMillan
Pastor
Prentiss Baptist Church, Prentiss, Mississippi
Noah Lee
Pastor
Tremont Baptist Church, Tremont, Illinois
Blake Gower
Associate Pastor
Lucy Baptist, Millington, TN
Allan Harden
Member and Messenger to the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting
Christ Place Church, Flowery Branch, GA
Alan Cotney
Pastor
College Road Baptist Church, Ocala, FL
Aaron Halstead
Lead Pastor
Mid-Cities Church at Maplewood, Maplewood, MO
Will Gerrald
Associate Pastor of Music & Worship
First Baptist Church, Hickory, NC
Scott Ferguson
Pastor
LaFayette First Baptist Church, LaFayette, AL
Justin Woulard
Pastor
The Bridge Fellowship, Reading, PA
Louis Cook
Pastor
Oak City Baptist Church, Oak City, NC
Darrell Blaine
Former HMB/NAMB and IMB missionary
retired pastor and present member
Central Baptist Church, Marlow OK
Mark Jackson
Member
Restoration Church Nashville, Nashville, TN
Curt Mize
Senior Pastor
Concord Baptist Church, Salem, Alabama
Daniel Bannister
Lead Pastor
Grace Alive Church, Ontario, CA
Robert Bauer
Member
Compass Church, Mason, Michigan
Shawn Alldredge
Pastor
First Baptist Church, Oregon, Ohio
Caleb Rainey
Member
North Wake Church, Wake Forest, NC
David Bauer
Executive Pastor
Compass Church, Mason, MI
Jim Calhoun
Messenger
Compass Church – Mason, Michigan
Joseph Stegall
Lead Pastor
Providence Baptist Church, Nolensville, TN
Dr. Derek Allen
Senior Pastor
First Baptist Tillman’s Corner, Mobile, AL
C. Daviss Woodbury
Lead Pastor
First Baptist Church, Nocona, TX
Chris Bonts
Senior Pastor
First Baptist Church, Middleburg, FL
Lynne-Marie Vetters
Member
Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA
Michelle Jones
Member and Messenger
Belle Aire Baptist Church, Murfreesboro TN
Scott Grandi
Member
Mission Trails Church
San Diego, CA
Matthew Morton
Bi-Vocational Pastor
St Joe Baptist Church, De Leon, Tx
Josh Tillman
Lead Pastor
Northwest Baptist Church, Gainesville, FL
Carissa Beard
Ashlea Davenport
Member
Third Avenue Baptist Church, Louisville, KY
Bill Watson
Pastor
Lake Highlands Baptist Church, Dallas, TX
Ken Nichols
Lead Pastor
Emmanuel Church, Weatherford, TX
Melody Richeson
Collegiate Minister
Kansas/Nebraska Convention of So. Baptists
Jay Beard
Lead Pastor
First Baptist Church of Thurmont, MD
We realize there may be other who would like to add their names to this letter. Please feel free to indicate your agreement in the comments section. We intend to occasionally compile those names and add them to the article.