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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

SWBTS trustees reveal ‘dysfunctionality’ under Greenway

By Baptist Message staff Modified, Oct. 23, to correct Greenway's service as chairman of the SBC Committee on Order of Business to read "2018-2021."  FORT WORTH, Texas (LBM) – Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary trustees, during a scheduled trustee meeting, Oct. 17-18, candidly addressed multiple “areas of concern” which led to the departure of Adam Greenway as the Southern Baptist Convention school’s ninth, and youngest ever, president. Citing “several patterns” that developed “over time” since 2019, when the then 41-year-old Greenway became SWBTS president, Danny Roberts (executive pastor of North Richland Hills Baptist Church, Texas, and chairman of the trustee board, having served as an SWBTS trustee since 2016, including as chairman of the 2018 search team that recommended Greenway) said “significant financial challenges compounded a growing sense of concern,” which led to Greenway’s resignation, Sept. 22. Roberts, in an SWBTS press release, Oct.18, specifically cited “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 … [Read more...]

Key documents filed in McRaney v. NAMB

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor AMORY, Miss. (LBM) – A trio of experts have provided written testimony in McRaney v. NAMB, a lawsuit which claims the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention wrongfully influenced the termination of Will McRaney as executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware. The three documents were filed in response to NAMB’s request that the federal court hearing the case “enter partial summary judgement in its favor,” and together addressed NAMB's claim to be a “supporting organization” of the BCMD (a specific IRS designation) and NAMB's assertion of First Amendment rights in the matter (based on a claimed hierarchical relationship between NAMB and the BCMD). -- Charles R. Lindsay, a Mississippi CPA with 39 years of experience, including leadership with state and national CPA professional organizations, rejected NAMB’s claim to be a “supporting organization” for the state convention, citing, in part, NAMB’s failure to meet IRS requirements for such status, although he conceded that “minimum, relevant information” from NAMB was needed “to make a definite determination.” -- D.C. Sharp, Ph.D., managing director of Econ One Research, an … [Read more...]

McLaurin responds to questions about pro-gay controversies

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Willie McLaurin, interim president and CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, spoke to the Louisiana Baptist Convention staff, Sept. 28, in the state missions building, Alexandria, the day after presenting a message to the LBC Executive Board during its fall meeting at Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center, Forest Hill. During a break, McLaurin agreed to speak to the Baptist Message, responding to questions about two issues that have generated extended discussion among Louisiana Baptists. The Baptist Message asked for clarification about why the SBC EC extended the contract of the pro-gay law firm to handle the Department of Justice investigation about the SBC EC’s handling of sexual abuse accusations, and what remedies the SBC EC would seek for the pro-gay Guidepost Solutions report which has been shown to have high-profile errors despite costing at least $2.1 million. About extending the Bradley law firm contract: Was there any consideration to asking long-time SBC lawyer Jim Guenther for a recommendation; or to reaching out to Southern Baptist lawyers … rather than continuing with the Bradley law firm, which holds positions … [Read more...]