By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor NASHVILLE, Tenn. (LBM) – The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee released the March financial report, April 5, showing that gifts through the Cooperative Program had dropped 1.18 percent while designated giving for the month had increased 5.09 percent compared to March 2022. Meanwhile, year-to-date figures show both funding channels were in decline. From October 2022 through March 2023, CP contributions were down 7.62 percent overall compared to the same timeframe for the last fiscal year. Likewise, designated giving was down 3.9 percent year-to-date for the same months. Both the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering were down for the new fiscal year through the end of March. Only nine states showed a positive CP trend for the year, including three “old line” Southern states, Louisiana, North Carolina and a combined Virginia (which has two state conventions). Louisiana and North Carolina also were among 13 state conventions which showed a positive trend in designated giving. … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor PLANO, Texas (LBM) – U.S. District Judge Sean Jordan has dismissed claims related to a lawsuit against Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and its former president, Paige Patterson. Jordan’s judgment against the allegations of negligence (regarding protection of the plaintiff) and defamation (based on statements by others, not Patterson) relating to a sexual assault on campus was issued “with prejudice,” meaning that the plaintiff, “Jane Roe,” cannot refile the claims, although she is able to appeal the ruling. Jordan rejected portions of Roe’s evidence as “opinion” and “irrelevant,” noting “Patterson and SWBTS immediately notified local law enforcement authorities of Roe’s outcry,” and “Roe declined to pursue charges against Doe.” Patterson was fired by SWBTS trustees in 2018 after “a series of media reports alleging that Patterson had committed various misdeeds while at SWBTS and his former institution, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (“SEBTS”), as well as a petition signed by thousands of Southern Baptist women criticizing Patterson for his past conduct,” according to court documents. … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor FORT WORTH, Texas (LBM) – Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary trustees have elected David S. Dockery as the 10th president of the institution and O.S. Hawkins to the new role of chancellor. Dockery had been serving as interim president, and Hawkins was acting as senior adviser and ambassador at large. Dockery succeeds Adam Greenway who resigned amid trustee concerns of “dysfunctionality amongst senior leadership, budget mismanagement, overspending resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars of deficits per month and attempts to pass the blame for these matters onto three different chief financial officers who were each removed,” according to an Oct. 18, 2022, SWBTS press release. Greenway followed Paige Patterson who was fired in 2018 because of negative media reports and social media activism regarding women’s issues. Dockery and Hawkins are SWBTS alumni. Before serving in their temporary SWBTS roles, Dockery was on the SWBTS faculty (since 2019) and Hawkins was retired, after serving 25 years as president and CEO of GuideStone Resources until March 2022. The new position of chancellor is a volunteer position that will allow Hawkins to continue advising … [Read more...]