There wasn’t a single “fun” motion. This is usually when the “entertaining” messengers come out to play, but this was the most serious, sane, and sober set of motions in my memory.
Here’s my summary of the ten motions.
President Clint did a pretty good job of keeping the flow going. He was pretty scathing when people tried to speak to their motions – cracked the whip pretty hard!
1. Al Mohler was recognized first to present his Truth and Unity constitutional amendment.
There was applause, but it was not raucous or resounding. Not sure how to read that.
2. Jonathan Greer presented a motion that I strongly support, but I doubt it will ever see the light of day. He moved to reform the Credentials Committee process in several ways, making it more transparent, getting reports sooner, broadening the appeals process for churches that are targeted, and most importantly to me, giving them a specified process of restoration when they are put out of the convention.
You have my vote, Jonathan.
3. Rhett (or Brett) Burns moved to limit fundraising by entities. Fundraising outside the CP would have to be approved by the CP or the EC and reported to the Convention.
You have my support, but I think this gets ruled out of order.
4. Tiffany Helms moved a task force for Pastor’s wives.
5. Garrison Griffith moved for a standardized reporting process for seminaries to identify which of their students are studying for pastoral ministry and other church positions, not just overall head count.
6. Jacob Eaton (sp?) moved a task force on accountability and trust. Not real sure about what this was all about.
7. Jared Long moved a 2026 sudsy committee the role of women in ministry. Please, o please, o please. NO!
8. Ed Willoughby moved a task force on Biblical Arbitration.
9. Brandon Watkins requested the new president to appoint a study committee to explore why so many Baptists are converting to Catholicism and Orthodoxy.
10. Casey Williams moved that the new president appoint a broad study committee to review the Baptist Faith and Message and recommend possible changes, even possibly to recommend a full revision.
Can you imagine this splintered convention revising the BF&M without splitting?
Most of these will get referred and die. I strongly support several and recoil in horror at others. There was nothing about the ERLC, but there’s another go-round at 3:45 today. There were also no wacko motions.
