The messengers at our 2021 annual meeting in Columbia approved a motion that required the incoming president to appoint a task force of South Carolina Baptists, who would be given the responsibility to review and respond to the report that is expected from our national convention in Anaheim, Calif., this summer. The South Carolina Baptist Convention Sexual Abuse Task Force will bring a report back to our state Executive Board and eventually to our annual meeting in November 2022.

While our national convention has been through a very contentious season, I am thankful that our South Carolina state convention has remained united. I’m not suggesting we always agree on every issue, but South Carolina Baptists do tend to handle disagreements in a biblical manner. We haven’t lost the willingness to dialogue, and even more importantly we continue to cooperate. I am thankful for our state convention staff, led by Gary Hollingsworth. They have navigated these troubled waters well. I am also proud of the pastors in our great state. I hope we can continue to serve as an example of unity for our brothers and sisters throughout the Southern Baptist Convention.