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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

SBC task force recommends pro-LGBT Guidepost Solutions for additional role

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force has recommended the Southern Baptist Convention Credentials Committee hire Guidepost Solutions to establish and maintain a “Ministry Check” website database for those credibly accused of sexual abuse, according to Baptist Press, the news division of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee. The Pathway, the news service of the Missouri Baptist Convention, reported that the task force’s recommendation of Guidepost was made despite criticism about Guidepost’s open support of “Gay Pride” month. Last June, Guidepost Solutions, which, on behalf of the SBC, published the disputed “Report of the Independent Investigation” about alleged mishandling of sex abuse by the SBC EC, tweeted, “Guidepost is committed to strengthening diversity, equity and inclusion and strives to be an organization where our team can bring their authentic selves to work. “We celebrate our collective progress toward equality for all and are proud to be an ally to our LGBTQ+ community,” the post added. Marshall Blalock, ARITF chairman and pastor of the First Baptist Church in Charleston, South Carolina, conceded to SBC EC members that … [Read more...]

NAMB hires pro-gay D.C. law firm for Mississippi trial

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor AMORY, Miss. -- Court records show the North American Mission Board has added the law firm of WilmerHale of Washington, D.C., to represent it in the lawsuit, McRaney v. NAMB, which alleges the SBC entity illegally interfered in Will McRaney’s employment as executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware as well as other potential work opportunities. NAMB has already retained ButlerSnow, a law firm of 390 attorneys, that “emerged from being primarily a regional firm to one with national scope,” according to butlersnow. com. The company is based in Mississippi where the lawsuit was filed, and they continue to represent NAMB. U.S. News & World Report lists WilmerHale as “a leading, full-service international law firm with 1,077 lawyers located throughout 13 offices in the United States, Europe and Asia.” Additionally, WilmerHale “clinches the title of most-liberal among the nation’s largest law firms,” according to law360.com (citing a Stanford study). Meanwhile, WilmerHale boasts on its website: “WilmerHale Again Receives 100 Percent Rating on LGBTQ Equality”; “WilmerHale Named Among the Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality”; and “WilmerHale Becomes … [Read more...]

SBC EC releases CP trend report

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The financial office of the SBC Executive Committee released its monthly report for February, and the year-to-date numbers showed Cooperative Program gifts had declined year-to-year for the first five months of the 2022-2023 budget cycle (Oct. 1-Feb 28). Donations were down $7,885,949.66, or 8.77 percent off, compared to 2022. COOPERATIVE PROGRAM $81,993,237.22 (YTD, FY 2023) $89,879,186.88 (YTD, FY 2022) Gifts through the Cooperative Program were 2.35 percent above what was budgeted for 2022-2023, according to Baptist Press. However, there is a two-year lag in the SBC budgeting process, meaning the 2022-2023 budget was based on 2020-2021 Cooperative Program receipts, which were negatively impacted by the global pandemic and substantially less than donations in 2021-2022. So, 2022-2023 gifts are above what was planned based on 2020-2021 numbers, but down from the amount received during 2021-2022. Designated giving for the first five months of the fiscal year also experienced a year-to-year decrease, falling 3.61 percent, or $3,410,637.33 from the 2021-2022 budget cycle, with both the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Annie Armstrong Easter … [Read more...]

IMB: 1,200 missionary candidates in pipeline

By Will Hall, Baptist Baptist Message executive editor RICHMOND, Va. -- The SBC International Mission Board reported that its pipeline for missionary candidates has 1,200 trainees. This is a significant milestone for Southern Baptists, as the number of missionary candidates in 2019 was 300, according to the IMB press release. The goal is to always have more than 1,500 applicants in the pipeline. [This is the number of candidates in line prior to the 2016 drawdown (which focused on eliminating 50-year-old missionaries with five years of field experience) under former IMB President David Platt.] The announcement comes as IMB has suffered an ongoing decline in overseas missionaries for more than two decades, with a significant slide since 2010. IMB reported having 3,527 deployed missionaries (including 126 unpaid "team associates") on February 28, the lowest number of missionaries on the field since 1983 (3,386), counting only paid personnel (3,401) , or 1984 (3,432) if the 126 “team associates” are counted. In 1985, there were 3,597 missionaries on the field. Southern Baptists have given generously to abate the shrinking missionary force, donating record amounts to the last three completed Lottie Moon Christmas … [Read more...]