The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee meeting scheduled to be held in Nashville Sept. 21-22 has been canceled and replaced with a special called meeting, to be held online Sept. 22.

EC Chairman Rolland Slade said given the COVID-19 pandemic, meeting virtually was the best decision for the safety of EC members, their families, congregations and others who might participate.

“Canceling the in-person meeting and moving to virtual, though not what we wanted to do, was and is the right thing to do for all concerned,” Slade said.

Slade noted that because of restrictions in their local areas, some EC members might have needed to self-quarantine for up to 14 days in order to travel to or from Nashville. Others might have been unable to travel for health reasons. The special-called EC meeting will be live-streamed for those wishing to watch online.

In light of COVID-19 restrictions and safety precautions, several other SBC entities are moving board and trustee meetings online. LifeWay Christian Resources held its trustee meeting Aug. 24-25. GuideStone Financial Resources trustees also moved their meeting online in late September. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission will convert its Sept. 15 board meeting. The International Mission Board will hold its trustee meeting Sept. 29-30. And the North American Mission Board has shifted its Oct. 5-7 trustee meeting from Boston to Alpharetta, Ga., where NAMB is headquartered.