In the year since Willie McLaurin was named interim president and CEO of Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, he has spent a lot of energy building relationships. McLaurin, a former staff member of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, shares often how he schedules a 15-minute Zoom call with pastors who send him a letter or email rather than writing them back. He wants to know what’s fully on their hearts

NASHVILLE — SBC Executive Committee members approved recommendations and informational regarding the previous and current operational finance budgets as well as a recent audit of its overall finances. At their previous in Sept. 2022, SBC Executive Committee members approved a 2022-2023 Operating Budget of $8,335,000. Today (Feb. 21) they were reminded how that month closed out the 2021-22 fiscal year with $200,452,608 given through the Cooperative Program, a 4.26 percent

NASHVILLE — In its meeting on Feb. 21, the SBC Executive Committee deemed six churches to be not in friendly cooperation — five of whom for having a female functioning in the office of pastor — including one of the largest churches in the Convention, Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. Saddleback hired Andy Wood and his wife Stacie as “Pastors Andy and Stacie Wood,” according to the church website,

NASHVILLE – The Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force (ARITF) announced it has made a recommendation to the SBC Credentials Committee to utilize Guidepost Solutions in establishing and maintaining a “Ministry Check” website database for those credibly accused of sexual abuse. Contract negotiations are underway, according to ARITF Chairman Marshall Blalock. He gave the task force’s update to the SBC Executive Committee at it’s meeting in Nashville Monday night (Feb. 20). SBC

ELKIN, N.C. — A congregation’s plans to move into a new worship center this spring have been put on hold after cyber criminals stole more than $793,000 from the church in an online scam. Elkin Valley Baptist Church broke ground on a new sanctuary last September, but about half of the funds that had been raised by the church and earmarked for the project were stolen by scammers through a