In the midst of ongoing financial challenges related to the economic aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, Southern Baptists have given more than $200 million through the national Cooperative Program allocation budget for the first time since 2008. Giving for the 2021-2022 fiscal year totaled $200,452,607.68, becoming the first time in 14 years that CP giving […]
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission board of trustees named Brent Leatherwood the new president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s public policy entity in a unanimous vote Sept. 13. “Rooted in Scripture and guided by the Baptist Faith and Message, this team will remain fervently committed to carrying out our ministry assignment — faithfully serving […]
Bart Barber, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, has announced the names of those who will lead and serve on the SBC Abuse Response Implementation Task Force, according to a Baptist Press release. The news follows an announcement that Marshall Blalock will chair the task force and Mike Keahbone will serve as vice chair. Both […]
The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee has been informed that the United States Department of Justice has initiated an investigation into the SBC that will include “multiple SBC entities,” according to an Aug. 12 statement from all SBC entity leaders and SBC President Bart Barber. “Individually and collectively, each SBC entity is resolved to fully […]
Messengers to the 2022 Southern Baptist Convention voted down a motion to abolish the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. The motion was made by messenger Joshua Scruggs from Bethlehem Baptist Church in Jacksonville, N.C. “I motioned that we abolish the ERLC in order to remove an entity that had the unintended consequence of causing needless […]
Outgoing Southern Baptist Convention President Ed Litton, former SBC president Fred Luter and noted author and pastor Tony Evans announced an initiative (the Unify Project) to build racial unity nationwide, conducted by the local church. “Southern Baptist Convention, what we hope to do,” Litton said, “is to start a grassroots movement, a local church initiative […]
Southern Baptists publicly lamented the harm their “actions and inactions have caused to survivors of sexual abuse” in a resolution adopted by messengers to the 2022 SBC annual meeting. Messengers agreed sexual abuse is an abomination before God, which grieves Christ, abandons the demands of Scripture, violates the image of God and “causes harm to […]
After much discussion, the Southern Baptist Convention’s Credentials Committee chose to withdraw its recommendation related to Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. A decision on whether or not to disfellowship Saddleback for ordaining three female staff members as pastors in May 2021 will be delayed until a later date. The original motion, submitted by Shadd […]
Four candidates with South Carolina ties — Alex Sands, Nathan Finn, Daniel Dickard, and David Sons — made history in Anaheim, winning key leadership posts within the Southern Baptist Convention. Sands, senior pastor and planter of Kingdom Life Church in Simpsonville, was elected as the SBC’s second vice president in a runoff against Michigan pastor […]
The reversal of the Roe v. Wade decision will be cause for celebration if it occurs, but it will not change the fact that the church must compassionately reach abortion-minded women, Southern Baptist pro-life specialist Elizabeth Graham said June 15 at the SBC’s annual meeting. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission presented “Standing for Life: […]