By Jennifer Davis Rash The Baptist Paper As the Sexual Abuse Task Force finalizes its report in the coming weeks, the law firm representing the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee during the investigation will be wrapping up its service in the coming months, according to an announcement on April 14. The upcoming change in attorneys comes amid questions about the firm’s support of organizations and efforts in conflict with traditional

By Scott Barkley Baptist Press NASHVILLE — A secondary option for Cooperative Program giving through the Missouri Baptist Convention “is by no means permanent,” said that state’s president and board chair. “This is only temporary,” explained Jon Nelson, pastor of Soma Community Church in Jefferson City. “As our new interim (executive committee) director Willie McLaurin and executive committee address these issues, we look forward to going back to where we

By Roy Hayhurst Director of denominational and public relations at GuideStone DALLAS — Almost 150 church and ministry business, HR and finance leaders from 22 states left Dallas with actionable insights and encouragement after the GuideStone Employee Benefits Summit (EBS). This year marked the first time the normally annual event could occur in two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “While we were able to offer an EBS webinar series

By BP staff  ANAHEIM, Calif. — Southern Baptist Convention President Ed Litton has announced his appointments to the 2022 Committee on Committees. Litton, pastor of Redemption Church in Saraland, Ala., announced the chair and vice chair for the committee last fall, naming Jeremy Freeman, pastor of First Baptist Church, Newcastle, Okla., as chair, and Amanda Stanton, member of Calvary Church, Clearwater, Fla., as vice chair. The committee’s members represent the

By Tom Strode Baptist Press WASHINGTON — President Biden and the U.S. House of Representatives are persuaded Russian President Vladimir Putin and his military have committed war crimes in Ukraine. If those assessments prove correct, justice requires accountability for the perpetrators, a Southern Baptist ethics leader said. The war crimes designations by United States officials intensified after photos recently came to light of hundreds of bodies of Ukrainian civilians who

By Jonathan Howe Baptist Press FARMERSVILLE, Texas – Southern Baptist Convention Pastors’ Conference president Matt Henslee announced his intention to nominate Texas pastor Bart Barber for the office of SBC president at the upcoming SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, June 14-15, 2022. Barber becomes the fourth announced candidate for the office this year but only the third candidate who will be considered by messengers for the position. Florida pastor Willy

The Baptist Paper CLEARWATER, Fla. — Willy Rice, pastor of Calvary Church in Clearwater, Fla., withdrew his name on April 6 from the list of candidates seeking the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention. Roughly a month after announcing his plans to accept a nomination for the position, news broke April 1 about a leadership position at Rice’s church. A former public school teacher with a history of sexual misconduct serves as

From BP, B&R reports NASHVILLE — More than 2,100 professions of faith came as a result of the ministry of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) in 2021, which is nearly a record number for professions of faith in a single year for the ministry. The full total of 2,133 professions of faith is just one of the positive statistics from SBDR. Oher positive reports include more than 83,000 meals distributed,