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

NASHVILLE – Relationships and partnerships between churches of differing racial and ethnic backgrounds and how it extends into the ministry of the local church is the aim of Racial Reconciliation Sunday, according to a leading voice in the SBC. “We read in Colossians that the Lord is reconciling all things to himself, so I think having a Sunday where we focus on racial reconciliation and the efforts to pursue real

KAHRAMANMARAS, Turkey — A pair of earthquakes and a series of aftershocks have devastated portions of Turkey and Syria. According to the BBC, more than 2,300 people were known to have been killed by the quakes by noon CST on Monday (Feb. 6). The significant quakes registered at 7.8 and 7.5 on the Richter Scale. The quake center was in south Turkey near the city of Kahramanmaras. Aftershocks could be

As fewer Americans interact with pastors on a regular basis, fewer say they trust clergy overall. Trust in pastors fell for the third straight year and reached an all-time low. Around 1 in 3 Americans (34 percent) rate the honesty and ethical standards of clergy as high or very high, according to the latest Gallup survey. Downward trends in church attendance accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. With more Americans staying

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — North American Mission Board president Kevin Ezell announced on Jan. 13 the tragic death of NAMB staffer Clint Clifton, who died in a plane crash on the evening of Jan. 12 in Dawson County, Ga. According to the Dawson County News, “at about 9:12 a.m. on Jan. 13, the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office E-911 Center received a call reporting a possible plane crash near the wildlife management