NASHVILLE — Dozens of agenda items awaited discussion and action by SBC Executive Committee members at their fall meeting this week. The committee made short work of its many referrals and recommendations, including consequential ones like finding a new home for sexual abuse prevention in the SBC and releasing a total dollar amount for legal expenditures incurred by the EC since 2021. The EC dealt with all of its business

NASHVILLE — In an effort to help the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee rebound from ongoing financial struggles and growing legal expenses, the EC announced on Sept. 17 it was planning to sell its downtown Nashville building. The EC also reported this week during its meeting it had spent more than $12.1 million on sexual abuse investigation-related expenses since 2020. During the meeting, newly installed EC President and CEO Jeff

BRENTWOOD — This summer, as thousands of kids and students attended Lifeway camps across the country, camp staff challenged them to think more broadly about their role in God’s mission to make disciples of all nations, and campers responded by giving generously to Southern Baptist missions endeavors. Because of the faithful giving of kids, students and leaders this summer, Ben Mandrell, president and CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources, presented checks

NASHVILLE — While Jeff Iorg’s initial plans for retirement won’t happen as expected, the former president of Gateway Seminary noted he and his wife, Ann, are at peace because “God called, and here we are.” Iorg, who stepped away from Gateway earlier this year, was installed to lead the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee as president and CEO on Sept. 16 during the EC’s September meeting. “While life is very

  NASHVILLE — The staff of the SBC’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission heard an official word of affirmation on Sept. 11 with the release of a statement approved by the full board of trustees in a two-hour executive session yesterday during the annual meeting in Nashville. The full statement (available here Statement-of-Affirmation-Encouragement) affirms the work of ERLC president Brent Leatherwood and the 17 other staff members, noting the importance

  NASHVILLE — The staff of the SBC’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission heard an official word of affirmation on Sept. 11 with the release of a statement approved by the full board of trustees in a two-hour executive session yesterday during the annual meeting in Nashville. The full statement (available here Statement-of-Affirmation-Encouragement) affirms the work of ERLC president Brent Leatherwood and the 17 other staff members, noting the importance

BEIJING — The Chinese government has officially ended its international adoption program, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning announced Sept. 5, ending hopes for hundreds of U.S. families who were matched with children before the COVID-19 pandemic but had adoptions put on hold in 2020. Karla Thrasher, senior director of international adoptions at Lifeline Children’s Services based in Birmingham, Ala., said the announcement was shocking to the adoption agency and to

FRANKLIN — Longtime Baptist communicator Floyd Craig died Aug. 30 at the age of 91. A native of Oklahoma, Craig and his wife, Anne, formed Craig Communications in 1981. Clients included a number of Southern Baptist organizations. Prior to establishing their firm, Craig served as director of communications with the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma and as director of communications for the Southern Baptist Christian Life Communications (now Ethics and