By Will Hall, Message executive editor NASHVILLE, Tenn. (LBM) – As early as April, lawsuits have been stacking up against the Southern Baptist Convention, then, in large part, due to the Executive Committee having waived attorney-client privilege in response to a messenger’s 2021 motion pertaining to the handling of sexual abuse allegations and survivors. Now, lawsuits are being filed and claimants are being sought in national ads launched by legal firms after the release of the controversial “Report of the Independent Investigation” by Guidepost Solutions, and the subsequent adoption of recommendations from the SBC Sexual Abuse Task Force by messengers at the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting. LAWSUITS MOUNT In an April 12 report by The Pathway, the news service of Missouri Baptists, Rolland Slade, pastor of Meridian Baptist Church in El Cajon, California, and the then-chairman of the SBC Executive Committee, announced that as of April 1 there were 23 lawsuits against the SBC related to sex abuse issues, with 19 cases in North Carolina and 4 in Virginia. After the release of the Guidepost report, however, scores of law firms began running ads online and elsewhere seeking clients to join class action cases. One ad read: … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM)—Louisianan Christians and social conservatives can celebrate several sweet victories won during the 2022 Regular Session of the legislature, but several developments likely will leave a bitter taste. PIVOTAL ISSUES Governor John Bel Edwards vetoed H.B. 953 which would have improved R.S. 13:5233, the state’s Preservation of Religious Freedom Act, by preventing the state from putting a greater burden on houses of worship than it enforces on any secular business, service, or assembly. In a letter to House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, Edwards said that the bill “would go far beyond” the lawful protections of religious liberty deemed constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court, adding that “a regulation would fail under this bill if it treats any business or entity differently than religious organizations, not just comparable entities. This would lead to unfair, and, in the case of emergencies, a potential danger to the public.” Rep. Alan Seabaugh, a member of Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport and the sponsor of the legislation, rejected the governor’s rationale, saying such logic had already been rejected by the Louisiana Supreme Court in a case that … [Read more...]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (LBM) – Messengers to the 2022 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting enjoyed fellowship and inspiring worship, but also conducted a great deal of  important business, June 14-15, in Anaheim, California. ELECTIONS Bart Barber, pastor of First Baptist Church, Farmersville, Texas, was elected SBC president, winning a runoff vote against Florida Pastor Tom Ascol by a margin of 1,229 votes, 3,401 votes (60.87 percent) to 2,172 (38.88 percent). In the first round of voting, Barber received 3,258 votes, or 47.58 percent compared to Ascol’s (pastor, Grace Baptist Church, Cape Coral, Fla.), 2,332 votes, or 34.06 percent; Frank Cox’s (pastor, North Metro Baptist Church, Lawrenceville, Ga.), 887 votes, or 12.95 percent; and Robin Hadaway’s (professor, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Kansas City, Mo.), 340 votes, or 4.97 percent. In other elections, messengers elected Victor Chayasirisobhon (pastor, Faith Fellowship Church, LaPalma, California) first vice-president; Alex Sands (pastor, Kingdom Life Church in Simpsonville, South Caorlina) second vice-president; Don Currence (administrative pastor, First Baptist Church, Ozark, Missouri), registration secretary; and Nathan Finn (provost, North … [Read more...]

By Message Staff After taking time to examine a 288-page report from a task force that oversaw an independent review of the SBC Executive Committee over allegations of mishandling reports of sexual abuse, Louisiana’s three Executive Committee trustee members shared their thoughts on the findings with the Message. The Task Force released its findings on May 22. The report — that can be found on sataskforce.net — outlines the Executive Committee’s handling of sexual abuse cases between 2000 and mid-2021. The independent investigation was conducted by Guidepost Solutions. All statements are in their entirety as sent to the Message. MIKE HOLLOWAY Mike Holloway is pastor of Ouachita Baptist Church, West Monroe. He said: “As a member of the Executive Committee Trustees representing Louisiana since 2014, I want to say that it has been an honor and most of the time a joy to serve. I rotate off as a trustee at the SBC Annual Meeting this June. As all the others on the EC, I want to express my disappointment or sorrow about the many things that were revealed in this investigative report. Can I begin by explaining that there is a difference between the Executive Committee and the Executive Committee trustees? As a … [Read more...]