EC to Pastors Conference: Change program or lose meeting space

At a press conference following the SBC Executive Committee meeting, chairman Mike Stone (center) said, “My desire would be that there would be a change in the lineup so we can proceed in keeping with who we are as Southern Baptists. I would love for that to happen.” (Photo by Eric Brown)

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Responding to concerns about the speakers’ lineup for the 2020 Southern Baptist Convention Pastors Conference, the SBC Executive Committee voted Feb. 18 to allocate meeting space for the event provided changes are made to the proposed program.

According to the action, the Executive Committee believes “multiple aspects” of the proposed program for the Pastors Conference “are sufficiently beyond the parameters of the faith and practice of Southern Baptists in accordance with the Baptist Faith and Message.” The action called for “amendments” to the program to be approved by officers of the Executive Committee.

Since the program was announced in early February, many have voiced concerns that not all speakers were Southern Baptist and that scheduled performer Hosanna Wong, a spoken word artist, is also a teaching pastor at her non-Southern Baptist church.

Others have also been critical of the inclusion of David Hughes, pastor of Church by the Glades, a Southern Baptist congregation in Coral Springs, Fla. The church has received attention for various performances in its services, as well as sermon series with sensual themes.

“My desire would be that there would be a change in the lineup so we can proceed in keeping with who we are as Southern Baptists,” said Mike Stone, chairman of the Executive Committee. “I would love for that to happen.”

Pastors Conference president David Uth, pastor of First Baptist Church, Orlando, has thus far declined to make lineup changes.

“My goal, my prayer was that we could open ourselves up to hear from people that maybe were good friends of ours, but not in our Southern Baptist Convention,” Uth told Baptist Press Feb. 11, in responding to initial concerns raised. “I feel like they have a message for us. I feel like God wants to speak to us through them. So my goal and my hope was that we could hear their message, we could learn from them, and we could embrace it.”

Meanwhile, First Baptist Orlando has announced it would pay the full cost of the 2020 SBC Pastors Conference.

“We will not receive any financial support of any kind from any SBC entity or auxiliary,” Pastors Conference leaders said in a statement released by Matthew Robinson, First Baptist Orlando pastor of administration. “Our hope is that this will ease conflicts or tensions that exist over the slated program for the conference. The 2020 SBC Pastors Conference is in no way being sponsored, controlled or paid for by the SBC, even though its purpose is still to bless and encourage SBC pastors and wives.”

The statement emphasized that God’s kingdom is more expansive than the Southern Baptist family.

“We believe that we are part of God’s kingdom. His kingdom is bigger than us,” the conference said. “We can and should hear from and learn from men and women inside and outside our denomination who have meaningful truth to share that can challenge and encourage us, even if they use different methodology or hold to different theology or ecclesiology.”