Louisiana Baptist Convention messengers approved nominees to serve on denominational
boards and committees without change last week – but not without challenge.
Louisiana Baptist Convention messengers approved nominees to serve on denominational
boards and committees without change last week – but not without challenge.
Messengers turned back challenges to change a pair of nominees
on both the Louisiana Baptist Message board and the Committee on Nominations.
Instead, messengers opted to stay with persons proposed by the state Committee
on Committees and Committee on Nominations.
All in all, messengers elected 87 persons to serve first or
second terms on state convention trustee boards and committees.
In proposing persons to serve on convention boards, Committee
on Nominations Chair Jesse Wascom told messengers that 125 names had been submitted
to fill 35 slots. Each person had been contacted regarding their support of
state convention efforts and the Cooperative Program and their willingness to
take their board responsibility seriously, said Wascom, pastor at Emmanuel Baptist
Church in West Monroe.
In addition, the committee had asked the heads of convention
agencies to submit profiles of the type of trustees that could best serve their
agencies, he noted.
The process helped the committee select the persons “we
believe God has led us to bring to you,” Wascom told messengers.
However, during consideration of nominees, Scott Shaver voiced
a desire to elect four persons other than those nominated by the state committee.
Shaver is pastor at First Baptist Church of Natchitoches.
Shaver also asked Wascom if the profiles sought from agency
heads had been honored in making nominations.
Wascom said the profiles had been given to each Committee on
Nominations member and were considered during the process.
Still, Shaver said he was concerned with nominees to the Louisiana
Baptist Message and Louisiana College boards.
LBC President Tommy French asked if any messenger wished to
challenge nominees to other boards. French is pastor at Jefferson Baptist Church
in Baton Rouge.
When no challenges arose, messengers approved nominees to the
Executive Board, Baptist Retirement Center, Louisiana Baptist Children’s
Home and Louisiana Baptist Foundation on voice votes.
Shaver then sought to replace Baptist Message nominee Bill
Clark with Larry Taylor. Clark is a member at Macedonia Baptist Church in Effie.
Taylor is pastor at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Alexandria.
However, in a break from the practice of recent years, French
explained the process does not allow for “replacing” committee nominees.
Instead, a messenger may nominate a person to serve on a board. Messengers then
have to select the persons they wish to fill the available spots. (See accompanying
article for related information)
Shaver immediately challenged that interpretation – but
messengers voted easily to sustain French in his ruling.
Shaver then nominated Taylor to the Louisiana Baptist Message board – and Irvin
Boureaux nominated John Occhipinti, a member at First Baptist Church of New
Orleans.
That made six nominations to fill four open slots on the newspaper
board – four proposed by the Committee on Nominations and two from the
convention floor.
French explained nominations would be considered in the order
received. Thus, messengers would be asked to vote on each of the persons nominated
by the state committee and then on the floor nominations.
Messengers would be asked to vote “yes” or “no”
on whether each person should be elected to serve, French explained. Voting
on the six nominees would continue until the four slots were filled.
French then led messengers in show-of-ballots votes on each
of the four committee nominees. Each one received majority support, electing
them to service on the Baptist Message board of trustees.
The Taylor and Occhipinti nominations never were voted on since
the four open trustee slots were filled by committee nominees. There was no
need to vote on the floor nominees since there was no open spot to elect them
to, French explained.
Shaver also had indicated his desire to make nominations to
the Louisiana College board. However, Rick Henson called for nominations to
be closed. Henson is pastor at First Baptist Church of Lecompte.
The move required a two-thirds margin for approval – and
messengers provided that on a show-of-ballots vote. They then approved all Committee
on Nominations selections for the Louisiana College board.
The scenario was repeated for the Committee on Committees nominees.
After committee Chair Scott Holder presented nominees for state
convention committees, Jerry Chaddick immediately moved that nominations be
closed. Holder is pastor at Forest Glade Baptist Church in West Monroe. Chaddick
is pastor at New Hope Baptist Church in DeQuincy.
French declined to close nominations since Shaver already had
indicated he wished to propose alternate names.
Shaver indicated he wished to nominate persons to the Committee
on Nominations.
Messengers subsequently approved nominations to all other committees,
then turned their attention to the selection of Committee on Nominations members.
Shaver nominated Randy Davis – and Boudreaux proposed
John Goodwin. Davis is pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in Hammond. Goodwin
is pastor at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Baton Rouge.
The earlier process then was repeated – with the same
results. French led messengers in votes on each of the five persons proposed
by the Committee on Committees to serve on the Committee on Nominations.
Each received majority support, which meant that votes on Davis and Goodwin
never were taken since the five open committee slots already were filled.