I upset some friends the other day when I voiced questions about the process at the EC that has nominated Jared Wellman as the next EC president. Now, let me see if I can make more people mad at me.
Many people have concerns about the process, and I affirm that. We continue to wonder when the SBC is going to elect a minority candidate to lead one of our entities. That time is long since passed.
Having said all of that, there is only one candidate on the ballot at the EC this week, Jared Wellman. This is not an election between two candidates. So, my position is this:
I wholeheartedly, enthusiastically, and with a joyful heart endorse Jared Wellman as a candidate for this position. I believe he will do a wonderful job leading our Executive Committee. I hope they will elect him.
Jared is not a close personal friend of mine, but I have had interactions with him during some intense times of Executive Committee tumult. I have seen him in action enough to be able to form strong opinions about the kind of man he is, about his character, and his love for our Lord Jesus Christ. I believe he is exactly the kind of man we want in leadership positions in our convention.
- He is not a schemer or politician, but a man of character and integrity. People have raised questions about the process, but I am confident that Jared did not finagle, scheme, or do anything unseemly to get this nomination. From what I have read, he did everything exactly as he should have done. He always acts with integrity. It’s who he is.
- Jared Wellman is a man of conviction and moral courage. I cannot share details here, but in a time he was under personal attack, when he was under tremendous pressure, he responded with grace, with humility, and with Christlikeness. I saw the fruit of the Spirit in him, not the works of the flesh. I was as impressed with him as I have been with anyone I’ve seen in my days in SBC work. He lived out the Way of the Cross.
- He is a Southern Baptist, someone who knows our polity, our system, and how we operate. He does not want to operate as a majestic overlord in Nashville, but wants to serve us. I believe he is the kind of man we need for this job.
I have no idea why the committee chose Jared over other candidates who applied. He is not the only man who could have done the job, and people are asking some hard questions. These questions will likely not be answered, since it would be inappropriate for a search committee to publicly reveal their deliberations. It is the right of every Southern Baptist to have questions and doubts and to wonder why this candidate or that was not chosen. The questions are legitimate, but by this point, the horse is out of the barn and it is time to focus on Jared. Is he a good candidate? Is he qualified? Will he serve well?
If you know Jared, I believe you have to answer those questions in the affirmative.
No one who knows Jared Wellman will have questions about his character and based on my experiences with him, I have no questions about his qualifications. He is an excellent choice, based on my observations of his work at the Executive Committee over the last few years. It was my intention to encourage him to run for president of the SBC in the near future. I believe he is one of our best younger leaders. I was thrilled that he was elected EC chair and when I heard he was a candidate for the job, I was very happy about it.
I expressed, in my previous article, that even though questions were being raised about the process, I was a fan of Jared Wellman, and I want to reiterate that. There is only one candidate now, not two. They are voting on Jared at the EC meeting this week, and I hope they will vote to elect him. I believe he will be a great leader at the Executive Committee!
To vote no is to throw the EC into chaos, to set our denominational work back many months, perhaps years – it would be a mistake. If Jared were not a good candidate, then perhaps it would make sense to vote no. He is a great choice, even if he is not the choice you might have wanted. He will serve us well. The chaos of a no vote, of a prolonged search process is not worth it when a good man like Jared Wellman is on the ballot.
- I may have questions about the process.
- I may have questions about why we seem reluctant to hire African Americans and other minorities as entity leaders.
- I have NO questions about the character and competence of Jared Wellman. I believe he was a brilliant choice by the Executive Committee.
Jared Wellman is a blessing to Southern Baptists. Vote him in as Executive Committee president.
