Re: Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee action on “sole membership”
for New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
Re: Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee action on “sole membership”
for New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
The “sole membership” idea normally applies to secular businesses
with governing boards. The lame excuse used by the Executive Committee for sole
membership of SBC entities is less legal liability for the convention. In actuality,
the closer the entity is to the “owner,” the more liability for the
owner.
Does the Executive Committee have this authority or right of liability on behalf
of the SBC, and will the convention accept the liability from the committee?
This is a question that needs to be asked.
Heres the rub – is this “solely” a grab for more control
and/or power over the SBC agencies and their boards by an elite few? Does the
Executive Committee have the authority to go before the convention and ask that
trustees be removed from boards and replaced with others who will “go along”
with the agenda of leaders?
The line must be drawn regarding the authority of the Executive Committee over
our entities. And the use of “our” in describing entities is the essence
of the misunderstanding. We are a convention of messengers from member churches.
We have given the Executive Committee limited authority. They are our employees
doing a job for us.
Will this problem overflow to other agencies? Is it time for other boards of
trustees to consider rescinding the bylaw that makes the convention the sole
member of the agency? Would that get us back on track of the actual owners of
agencies being the members of the convention who elect trustees to set policies
and conduct business, not the Executive Committee?
As pastor Bill Sutton has said, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”
So goes the fiduciary (trust) responsibility of the SBC boards and committees.
Diane Reeder
Baton Rouge, La.
