By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] ANAHEIM, Calif. — Southern Baptist Convention messengers took a “good first step” in dealing with sexual abuse issues within the denomination, said Bruce Frank, pastor of Biltmore Baptist Church, Arden, North Carolina, chair of the Sexual Abuse Task Force. During the June 14 session of the SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, messengers overwhelming approved the two recommendations (read full text here) proposed

By Leslie Peacock Caldwell IMB news office ANAHEIM, Calif. — International Mission Board president Paul Chitwood began IMB’s report to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting with recent good news from the mission field. He recounted a message he received the previous night from a pastor whose daughter serves overseas. Chitwood shared that three Muslim women had accepted Christ as Savior. These salvations were the first the IMB missionary team

The Baptist Paper ANAHEIM, Calif. — Bart Barber, pastor of First Baptist Church Farmersville, Texas, and active denominational leader, was elected 64th president of the Southern Baptist Convention on June 14 during the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California. Barber received 3,401 votes on a second runoff ballot, garnering 60.87 percent of the 5,587 total votes cast in the runoff. In a four-way presidential bid that included Florida Baptist

By Diane Chandler Baptist Press ANAHEIM, Calif. — Southern Baptist Convention President Ed Litton calls it a “gut punch” – Jesus’ reference to his disciples as an “unbelieving and perverse generation.” Jesus had two questions for disciples in the Matthew 17 passage, which Litton posed in his June 14 address as if Jesus were speaking directly to Southern Baptists. “Southern Baptists how long shall I stay with you? Southern Baptists,

By Jennifer Davis Rash The Baptist Paper Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Anaheim came to do business and even lined up at microphones before the opening session began at 8 a.m. The first opportunity to present motions came at 10:10 a.m. Pacific time and 23 were presented before time ran out. Among motions presented several dealt with transparency concerns related to the Executive Committee, North American

By Timothy Cockes Baptist Press ANAHEIM, Calif. — Seven new SBC Executive Committee officers were elected during the group’s June 13 meeting, including new EC Chairman Jared Wellman, lead pastor of Tate Springs Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas. Other newly elected officers include Vice Chairman David Sons, Secretary Pam Reed and four EC subcommittee (also known as standing committee) chairs. Wellman is in his second term on the Executive Committee,

By Scott Barkley Baptist Press ANAHEIM — With $4 million now pledged from Send Relief toward funding sexual abuse reforms over the next year, Executive Committee members voted June 13 to rescind their recently approved recommendations for that same objective. EC Chair Rolland Slade, overseeing his final trustee meeting, extended thanks for the gift to Send Relief and its president, Bryant Wright, as well as North American Mission Board President

By Robin Cornetet Baptist Press ANAHEIM, Calif. — Daniel Dickard, senior pastor of Friendly Avenue Baptist Church in Greensboro, N.C., was elected president of the 2023 SBC Pastors’ Conference on June 13. Dickard won the election by a ballot vote, defeating African Christian University’s dean of theology Voddie Baucham by a vote of 690 (50.85 percent) to 608 (44.8 percent). Fifty-nine ballots (4.35 percent), were disallowed. Next year’s pastors’ conference