NASHVILLE —  A group of Asian American church leaders are expressing their “profound concern, dismay and disappointment” following staff cuts by the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee that included two associate vice president positions responsible for overseeing ethnic relations. On Sept. 13, the EC announced it was cutting five full-time staff positions and two contractor positions in an effort to help cover rising costs related to the SBC Annual Meeting

ERLC staff Over the past several years, Southern Baptists state conventions and associations have been taking significant steps to prevent abuse within their churches and provide support for survivors. While the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has faced criticism for its handling of sexual abuse cases in the past, many state conventions are now prioritizing abuse prevention and survivor care. Here is a sampling of the efforts made by various state

BRENTWOOD — If you’re looking for a Southern Baptist church, you’re most likely to find one in the South. If you want to find a growing Southern Baptist church, however, you might want to try the Northeast. Analysis of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Annual Church Profile (ACP) by Lifeway Research revealed the convention is made up of mostly smaller churches dotting the southern United States. Still, more than 1 in 5

NASHVILLE — The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee deemed Matoaka Baptist Church of Ochelata, Okla., not in friendly cooperation with the SBC Sept. 19 after the church failed to respond to inquiries regarding alleged racial discrimination. The SBC Credentials Committee sought information from the nearly 200-year-old church after a representative of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO) asked the committee to consider the church’s relationship “on the basis that

NASHVILLE — Executive Committee members approved a 2023-2024 operating budget of $8,305,500 for SBC and EC operating expenses, a decrease of .35 percent from last year. During the third quarter of the fiscal year, Cooperative Budget Allocation receipts decreased by 3.48 percent compared to the same period last year, reported Convention Finances and Stewardship Development chair Adam Wyatt. A negative change in net assets also occurred in that time to

NASHVILLE — A new code of conduct for board members and a commitment to investigate backgrounds and credentials of prospective staff hires are in place for the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee. Executive Committee officers informed EC members of the new vetting process for prospective hires at the director’s level and above during the Sept. 19 morning plenary session of the board’s meeting in Nashville. EC members unanimously adopted the

NASHVILLE — Dan Summerlin has withdrawn from being considered as the SBC Executive Committee transitional interim president and CEO. Jonathan Howe will continue to serve in the role as the EC officers search for another interim candidate. EC Chairman Philip Robertson made the announcement in Tuesday’s (Sept. 19) Executive Committee meeting. “Regretfully, Dan Summerlin has withdrawn his name from consideration to be the transitional interim president and CEO,” Robertson said.

NASHVILLE — During a three-hour executive session Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 19), SBC Executive Committee members learned that no further legal action would take place regarding the departure of former interim president and CEO Willie McLaurin. In addition, Kentucky pastor Dan Summerlin voluntarily removed his name from consideration for the transitional role. In a press conference following the meeting, EC Chairman Philip Robertson, who learned of Summerlin’s decision Monday evening, presented

NASHVILLE — Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee members were hit with another disappointment during the final plenary session of their fall meeting on Sept. 19. EC Chairman and Louisiana pastor Philip Robertson announced that Dan Summerlin, the recently retired Kentucky pastor who had been announced the day before as a candidate for the role of transitional interim president and CEO of the entity, informed EC officers Tuesday he had changed