BUENA PARK, Calif. (BP)—Wiley Drake, a self-proclaimed “champion of the little guy” known for his perennial presence at Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting microphones, died Jan. 27. He was 82.

Over the past three decades Drake spoke more than 70 times from the SBC annual meeting floor, becoming a legend among convention insiders and occasionally drawing cheers from messengers as soon as he announced his name and church.

He helped launch the convention’s boycott of the Walt Disney Corporation in 1997 and served as SBC second vice president in 2006–2007.

“Wiley Drake is the SBC,” Texas pastor Bart Barber posted on social media a few years ago. “He’s the guy who isn’t the president, and isn’t going to become the president, who is passionate about the convention and wants it to be the very best that it can be. So, instead of carping and complaining, he gets involved.”

Pastor and advocate in southern California

Pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Buena Park, Calif., for more than 25 years, Drake was known in his Southern California community as a friend to the needy.

He engaged in a years-long legal battle with local authorities over his desire to use the church building as a homeless shelter.

In 1997, he was convicted of violating building and property codes with a ministry that housed up to 70 people per night and distributed 30,000 pounds of food monthly.

“As long as I am pastor, we will provide shelter, food, and love to the homeless,” he told The New York Times at the time. In 2017, the city condemned his church’s shelter.

Drake told The Dallas Morning News in 2007 he was a “champion of the little guy.”

At times, Drake sparked controversy with his public comments on an array of topics. He received a cease-and-desist letter from the SBC Executive Committee in 2006 after endorsing a U.S. Senate candidate on letterhead identifying Drake as SBC second vice president.

He claimed to be among founders of the so-called “birther” movement and filed a 2008 lawsuit claiming Barack Obama was ineligible to serve as president because he was not a natural-born U.S. citizen. Drake also said he prayed imprecatory prayers against Obama.

At SBC annual meetings, messengers wondered what Drake would propose at the next introduction of new business.

He set his sights on Disney in the mid-1990s as the family entertainment giant promoted homosexuality and other unbiblical lifestyles.

In 1996, he successfully amended a resolution urging “prayerful consideration” before purchasing Disney products to add warning of a boycott if Disney continued its “anti-Christian and antifamily trend.”

The next year, Drake submitted a resolution to the SBC Resolutions Committee that eventuated in the official Disney boycott.

Leadership and SBC service

Following an unsuccessful run for second vice president in 2005, he was nominated again the following year and won on the first ballot over three other candidates, including future SBC president J.D. Greear.

In nominating Drake, Kentucky pastor Bill Dodson called him “a foot soldier” in the SBC’s return to theological conservatism who “represents those like you and me.”

As pastor of a church with fewer than 100 active members, Drake fought to enable other small church leaders to pursue SBC offices. During the annual meeting concluding his vice-presidential service, Drake moved that the convention cover “reasonable” travel expenses for SBC officers.

He told The Dallas Morning News the expense of attending SBC events played a role in his decision not to seek a second term since his church couldn’t afford to help him travel.

The following year, the SBC Executive Committee responded to his motion by agreeing to pay travel expenses for future officers whose churches didn’t have funds for convention-related travel.

Twice Drake was nominated for the SBC presidency—once by himself—though he never won the office.

He ventured into secular politics in 2008, running for vice president of the United States with American Independent Party presidential candidate Alan Keyes.

He ran for president in 2012 and 2016 as an Independent, saying, “It’s time we got back to our history of ministers of the Gospel running for office without a party.”

But for many Southern Baptists, Drake’s most memorable venture into presidential politics came in 2015, when he made a motion at the SBC annual meeting requesting that then-convention president Ronnie Floyd run for president of the United States.

The motion was ruled out of order.

A native of Arkansas, Drake dropped out of school in the ninth grade to enter the circus and rodeo, he told Baptist Press in 2008. Sidelined by a bull-riding injury, he worked on a crew building missile silos before he joined the U.S. Navy.

During a tour of duty in Vietnam, he accepted Christ as Savior. Drake attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary among other schools.

He was preceded in death by his wife Barbara. He is survived by five siblings, four adult children, 12 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren with one on the way.

NASHVILLE (BP)—A recently-released list of three commitments by trustees of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission to Southern Baptists was drafted over the last month, chairman Scott Foshie told Baptist Press, but marks the latest step in a longer process.

Those commitments were approved at a special-called trustee meeting Jan. 30 and published Feb. 2.

The ERLC commits “to robust engagement and strong relationships with churches, local associations, state conventions, and SBC entities.”

Acknowledging an erosion of trust among some Southern Baptists, the ERLC commits to rebuilding trust with Southern Baptists.

Continuing its commitment “to representing Southern Baptists well in the public square,” the ERLC “will provide effective advocacy in Washington, D.C., by focusing on issues where Southern Baptists have strong consensus.”

The ERLC identifies issues for advocacy “primarily [using] the Bible, the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 (amended 2023) and recent SBC resolutions.”

ERLC staff “will also be available to assist Southern Baptists at the state and local levels on matters of public policy, working closely with state conventions and local associations.”

Trustees also announced the number of presidential candidates has been halved to eight.

An update from the search team will come at the next regularly scheduled trustee meeting in March.

Hopes are for a final candidate announcement in late spring who will be presented at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., in June.

The Dallas meeting

Foshie was an Illinois pastor in 2018 when he accepted a nomination to serve as an ERLC trustee.

That year’s SBC annual meeting in Dallas was the first of several in subsequent years—including a return to Dallas in June 2025—to attempt to abolish or defund the entity.

“A lot of us had concerns when I became a trustee,” he said. “I just wanted to learn and was overjoyed with the hard work of the staff, but I did have concerns. I wanted to see the president relate better; that there wasn’t just encouragement, but oversight. We’ve worked relentlessly at that.”

Although the votes went in favor of the entity, Foshie sees them as signals from messengers who wanted to ensure the ERLC heard their concerns.

He asserts trustees did.

In 2023, bylaw revisions addressed the relationship between the president and the board. The next year brought a list of advocacy questions outlining the entity’s process for engaging with a public policy issue.

Foshie gave much credit to former president Brent Leatherwood for such steps.

“It’s been a journey for the board, a great one, really,” said Foshie. “When Brent became president, even before, when he was acting president, he was committed to working with trustees.

“We had forward-facing concerns,” Foshie continued, “[and] wanted to improve the relationship between the president and board, to discover best practices and live those out, and Brent was really supportive of that.”

Last fall’s approval of retired South Carolina Baptist Convention Executive Director Gary Hollingsworth as interim president accompanied the development of a presidential profile.

“We’ve tried to deeply engage with the pastors we serve, with local association leaders, state convention leaders and fellow national entity leaders. We’ve tried to listen to the Lord through them. I think that’s important,” Foshie said.

The “robust engagement” promised in the first of the three commitments means personally engaging Southern Baptist churches “of all sizes and different cultures.”

“We’re going to expect [the ERLC president] to be out helping us advocate, but he needs to spend a lot of time in churches with pastors, with local association leaders, and with state convention leaders,” Foshie said.

A different perspective

Foshie will get a different perspective after the June annual meeting, when he will rotate off the ERLC board and officially begin his new role as executive director for the Illinois Baptist State Association.

“I would like the ERLC president to not just be accessible to me, but to my pastors I serve here in Illinois and the local association leaders. I expect the team to continue to be responsive,” Foshie continued.

“And if there are issues with a range of opinions, maybe convene Southern Baptists with different perspectives. Encourage understanding and dialogue and remind them where we have agreement on carrying out the Great Commission together, even if we have different opinions,” Foshie said.

Foshie also told Baptist Press that Jon Nelson has resigned as a trustee after accepting a staff position with a non-SBC church.

Commitment to ERLC

Mariano Sarabia, student pastor of First Baptist Church in O’Fallon, Ill., was selected by trustees Friday to replace Nelson until Southern Baptist messengers vote on a permanent replacement.

The just-released three points of commitment are “a clarifying moment,” he added, for Southern Baptists as well as the next president.

“First of all, we wanted Southern Baptists to know of our commitment to them,” Foshie said. “But it also gives clarity to the candidates. They know what to expect and understand the posture we’re expecting them to have.”

Furthermore, the commitments establish an objective standard through which the search team and board can evaluate candidates.

“That’s important for us, too. The board believes in the ERLC as an important place in Baptist life, and we are thankful for the trust we have. We know we still have work to do with some and want them to know we hear their concerns, and we’re committed to earning their trust.”

Last month, Atlanta pastor Jason Dees wrote an open letter to ERLC trustees published in The Christian Index calling for the ERLC’s dissolution.

Today’s political landscape, he wrote, creates an environment where effective representation of Southern Baptists even among “core moral convictions” is “simply impossible.”

“I don’t sense that has been something the trustees have brought up,” said Foshie. “If anything, there’s more need for the ERLC than ever. We have a [presidential] administration that is extremely open to input from Southern Baptists. And whether an administration is open or not, Southern Baptists need and want an entity that can represent them in the public square.

“I think the issue has been some Southern Baptists have felt they can’t trust the entity, and we want them to know they can. Trustees have been focused on making sure the ERLC is trustworthy and effective for the future.”

With additional reporting by Baptist Standard Reporter Kendall Lyons.

South Carolina pastor Josh Powell will be nominated for Southern Baptist Convention president at the 2026 SBC annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.

Tennessee pastor Jay Hardwick told Baptist Press he intends to nominate Powell this summer.

“I’ve known Josh as a close friend for 30 years, and the word I use to describe his character and relationship with God over these 30 years is consistent,’” Hardwick said.

Powell is the lead pastor of Taylors First Baptist Church in South Carolina. He has served the church since 2021.

“He is a man of integrity, he loves God’s word, and he is diligent in his personal pursuit of growth as a disciple of Jesus,” Hardwick said. “He is humble, approachable, and wise, all qualities that stem from his walk with the Lord.”

In 2025, Taylors First Baptist Church received $5,794,403 in total receipts, according to the church. They gave $438,259 [7.6 percent] through the Cooperative Program, $273,673.79 to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, and $52,414.49 to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. They reported 1,667 people in weekly worship attendance and 56 baptisms.

A pastoral legacy

Powell has a long legacy of pastors in his family as his father, grandfather, father-in-law, and grandfather-in-law have all served as Southern Baptist pastors. 

Hardwick says he has personally experienced the consistency of Powell’s leadership as he was a part of a church in South Carolina Powell helped revitalize.

“I had a front row seat as Josh led that church through a wonderful season of revitalization that was centered on the word of God and focused on the mission of God. That church is thriving today in large part because of how God used Josh and his family,” he said.

“Josh loves people, he loves preaching, and he loves being present and engaged in the community his church is serving. He is a consistent and effective preacher, and his ministry bears the fruit of his commitment to shepherd, disciple, and reach people with the gospel.”

Powell previously served Lake Murray Baptist Church in Lexington, S.C., and First Baptist Church Fairdale in Fairdale, Ky.

Powell’s personal story

Powell and his wife Allison have been married for 27 years and met at North Greenville University.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from North Greenville University and a Master of Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

They have four children: Wilds, Levi, Macy Grace, and Paton. Their three older children are pursuing a call to ministry, according to Powell.

He told Baptist Press he has been on dozens of mission trips across five continents and served as an independent missionary in South Asia from 2009-2014.

In 2023, he spent a night in jail for publicly preaching the gospel during a mission trip, as told in a 2025 Baptist Courier story.

Powell has served as president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, a trustee at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, including serving as the trustee chair, and on the board of North Greenville University where he also served as chair.

Hardwick said Powell is a “product of and example of the great things God has done and is doing through the SBC.”

“I believe we need leaders who love Southern Baptists, who embody the best of who we are as Southern Baptists, who love and are personally invested in our SBC family and mission, and are leading their churches to be heavily invested in our cooperative efforts,” Hardwick said.

The 2026 SBC annual meeting is set for June 9-10 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

As the next step in Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s long-term strategy to evaluate its property usage in keeping with its student-focused core value and to prioritize seminary resources, the seminary announced Jan. 13 Student Village Apartments and Townhomes have been sold to Bellrock Real Estate Partners, a Fort Worth-based company.

“This transaction creates an opportunity to partner with Bellrock in ways that will enhance the residential experience for our students,” said Southwestern Seminary President David S. Dockery.

“We are encouraged by Bellrock’s commitment to investing in the property and to working collaboratively to ensure it continues to serve the needs of the seminary community,” Dockery added.

Bellrock co-founder Anthony Wonderly emphasized the firm’s commitment to thoughtful ownership and continuity for residents.

“We understand the importance of this community to Southwestern Seminary and its students,” Wonderly said. “Our goal is to invest responsibly, improve the quality of life for residents, and position the property for long-term success while maintaining continuity for those who already call it home.”

The sale of Student Village represents a key component of Southwestern Seminary’s broader financial turnaround since 2022, Dockery said.

The institution has implemented disciplined financial management, reduced operational expenses, and experienced growth in operating revenue, resulting in the elimination of all short-term and long-term debt and cash reserves in excess of $20 million.

Turnaround following financial crisis

This turnaround follows a period of financial crisis under former president Adam W. Greenway, who resigned from Southwestern Seminary in Sept. 2022.

According to a previous report by the Baptist Standard, Greenway’s resignation was linked to reports of a major budget deficit and significant turnover of faculty, staff, and administration, resulting in the need for more financial guardrails to prevent spending irregularities and provide trustee accountability. 

Greenway’s tenure followed predecessor Paige Patterson’s efforts to expand faculty and lead the seminary in taking on several expensive building projects during a period of enrollment decline, contributing to Southwestern’s further financial instability, according to the report. 

Sale part of longer-term strategy

Dockery contrasted the sale of Student Village with the 2023 sale of seminary’s former B.H. Carroll Park housing complex.

While the Carroll Park sale helped address the seminary’s then “financial crisis,” he said the sale of Student Village “is an aspect of a longer-term strategy to serve students well and to prioritize the campus resources, all of which are an aspect of implementing the space and property utilization guidelines and priorities approved by the [seminary] board in the fall of 2024.”

The Student Village community, located at 2000 W. Seminary Drive, includes a total of 376 residential units, consisting of 252 traditional apartment units constructed in 2012 and 124 townhomes built between 1976 and 1995. The mix of apartments and townhomes provides flexible housing options well suited to seminary students and their families.

In April 2023, the seminary’s board of trustees created a space and property utilization task team composed of trustees and seminary personnel with a commitment to institutional stewardship and discovering the best way to utilize Southwestern’s campus, property, and assets in order to advance the seminary’s mission. In 2024, trustees approved guidelines and priorities for the task team. In the summer of 2025, the board authorized the sale of the property.

In recent months, seminary administrators have met three times with residents of Student Village to inform them of the prospective sale, Dockery noted.

Serving students is a priority

“Every aspect of the decision-making process was always shaped with the theme of how to best serve our students,” he said.

“We have worked hard to ensure a good transition for the students. We pray that current and future students will benefit in the new year and in the years ahead. Our priority all along in this process has been to find ways to strengthen this aspect of student life.”

Dockery also said Bellrock has communicated plans to make a significant capital investment in the community following the acquisition with both short-term and long-term improvements. Planned improvements include interior unit upgrades, enhanced safety and security measures, refreshed landscaping, and the development of new or improved gathering spaces intended to foster community among residents.

The partnership with Bellrock, Dockery added, is structured as an ongoing relationship rather than a one-time transaction. The two organizations will continue to work together closely as improvements are implemented and as the community develops. 

The seminary will remain involved in key areas that affect student experience, including security and facilities coordination, helping to ensure continuity for staff and student workers who have long served the Village.

“We believe the Lord has provided a way for a strong and ongoing partnership so that the student village will continue to be a vital part of seminary life for many years to come,” Dockery added.

The transaction was brokered by Jason Harrell of Transwestern, representing the Southwestern Seminary.

Additional reporting by Faith Pratt, reporter for the Baptist Standard.

(RNS)—A former professor at a Georgia Baptist college is suing a Christian publication for defamation, saying he was falsely accused of sexual abuse.

Lawyers for Jeremy Lyon, who taught Old Testament and Hebrew at Truett McConnell University in Cleveland, Ga., alleged Associated Baptist Press, known as Baptist News Global, published “fabricated” allegations of abuse against him in a pair of stories about an abuse scandal at the school.

According to the lawsuit, attorneys for Lyon said BNG failed to contact the professor before naming him in the June 2025 stories and that the publication “fabricated information to support the false and defamatory accusations” against Lyon. The professor “categorically denies” the allegations against him, according to the suit.

In an email, Mark Wingfield, editor of BNG, said the independent publication stands behind its reporting.

“BNG operates with the highest ethical standards of professional journalism,” he said in a statement published on the BNG website. “We have been at the forefront of covering sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention, and thus it is not surprising some would attempt to repudiate our witness. We stand ready to defend our work.”

The news stories in question reported a law firm representing an alleged abuse victim had included abuse accusations about Lyon in a letter to the school’s leaders. The letter, according to BNG, primarily contained abuse allegations against Bradley Reynolds, a former vice president at Truett McConnell, and accused the school’s administration of covering up misconduct by Reynolds. Reynolds was indicted in December for allegedly lying to authorities in Georgia.  

That letter also accused school leaders of mishandling a second case of alleged abuse, saying they pressured a different alleged victim in that case to drop her complaint against Lyon.

According to BNG, the letter was part of a trove of documents sent to leaders at Truett McConnell by the law firm Shein, Brandenburg & Schrope in North Decatur, Ga. 

Truett McConnell’s president, Emir Caner, was fired in September, after the school’s board investigated how past allegations against Reynolds were handled.  

Lawyers for Lyon alleged BNG’s reporting about him was based on one source and raised questions about whether the letter in question actually came from a legal firm, according to the legal filing.

“There is no law firm ‘representing a woman against Dr. Lyon,’” according to the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia on Dec. 22. “No ‘complaint’ has been asserted by any law firm against Dr. Lyon.”

Attorneys for Lyon declined to comment to RNS. 

A copy of the letter cited in the BNG report was sent to RNS by an anonymous source. That letter contained no identifying information about who authored it. Shein, Brandenburg & Schrope did not respond to a request for comment about the letter. 

Lyon no longer teaches at Truett McConnell. The accusations were based on alleged incidents in 2021 and 2022.

In the complaint, attorneys for Lyon say he was fired as an adjunct at several schools as a result of the allegations and was removed from his role as president of the Creation Theology Society.  

“Dr. Lyon’s damages continue to increase, as he is unable to find work in his professional field as a result of the statements in the articles and instead is currently working in retail at a significantly reduced income,” according to the complaint.

Lyon’s lawsuit is the fourth defamation claim filed in response to the abuse scandal in the SBC, the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. Former SBC President Johnny Hunt and former seminary professor David Sills sued the convention, as well as several Baptist leaders, after their names were listed in a 2022 Guidepost report that accused SBC leaders of mistreating abuse survivors. 

Most of the claims in Hunt’s lawsuit were rejected by a federal court judge in 2025. The trial in the Sills case is on hold while the judge considers whether or not to dismiss the case.

And in 2023, a Tennessee pastor sued the SBC’s Executive Committee after a denominational committee informed his church about a past abuse allegation. The pastor eventually lost his job as a music teacher and had a job offer at a new church rescinded. That case is currently under review by the Tennessee Supreme Court.

Lyon would be the first Baptist figure during the SBC abuse scandal to sue a publication for publishing allegations of abuse.

KNOXVILLE (BP)—Tennessee Supreme Court justices sought clarity regarding the church autonomy doctrine Thursday, Jan. 8, in a case focused on the Southern Baptist Convention’s protocols to address claims of sexual abuse.

Attorneys for Preston Garner, who has brought a defamation lawsuit against the SBC and others, asserted a letter sent in the early days of 2023 stemming from a report to the SBC abuse hotline led to Garner’s dismissal at a Christian school and the simultaneous withdrawal of a job offer at a church.

Representation for the defendants said the matter was an example of “internal governance.”

“Religious bodies have religious ways of approaching [these matters],” said Becket attorney Daniel Blomberg, representing the SBC et. al. “That’s obviously the case here, where religious polity really plays a significant role in how the convention itself can interact with its member churches.”

Becket, according to its website, “is a non-profit, public-interest legal and educational institute with a mission to protect the free expression of all faiths.”

Matt Rice, solicitor general for the State of Tennessee, spoke on the matter of church autonomy.

“The very process of requiring religious institutions to engage in litigation over matters of their faith doctrine and internal governance, itself, causes a constitutional harm under the religion clauses,” he said. “We think this court should recognize as much.”

In comments to Baptist Press, Blomberg noted the court sees the importance of this case.

“They had excellent questions and were taking this really seriously, which is a very good sign,” he said of the five-judge panel. “This is a very important issue. Judge [Sarah K.] Campbell mentioned other faith groups as well [that would be impacted].”

Sexual abuse claim made against Garner

In 2022, a report came through the SBC’s abuse hotline, which at the time was maintained by Guidepost Solutions, of a claim of sexual abuse 12 years earlier. The claimant, a woman whose identity has not been revealed, accused Garner, a longtime worship pastor and school music teacher, of abuse while he was on staff at a church.

A representative of the SBC Credentials Committee sent a letter Jan. 7, 2023, on behalf of the Credentials Committee to Everett Hills Baptist Church in Maryville, Tenn., where Garner had recently resigned as worship pastor.

That letter informed the church of the report and that there was “a concern” over Everett Hills’ relationship with the SBC. It further asked for a response from the church within 30 days. The Credentials Committee representative is also named in the suit.

Garner was employed by The King’s Academy, a Christian school, and in the process of taking a position with First Baptist Church in Concord, Tenn. He maintains the letter led to his losing his job at The King’s Academy and to First Baptist Concord’s withdrawing its offer of employment.

According to Annual Church Profile reports, Garner has served as worship/music minister at Black Oak Heights Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tenn., since September 2024.

Attorney Bryan McKenzie, representing Garner, said his client had “no claim” with The King’s Academy or Everett Hills Baptist Church, and so the case did not concern “internal religious affairs within those organizations.”

Questions over liability of the SBC

Campbell didn’t see how they also wouldn’t include the SBC.

“You’re asking us to discriminate based on a certain denomination’s decision about how to structure itself and how to structure its governance, and we can’t do that under U.S. Supreme Court precedent regarding the establishment clause.”

Baptist Press reached out to Garner’s attorneys for comment, receiving none.

Arguments for dismissal have centered on two points: (1) the church autonomy doctrine, which gives churches the right to make certain decisions free from government interference, and (2) protections through the Tennessee Public Participation Act, which provides protection against legal action “based on, relates to, or is in response to that party’s exercise of the right to free speech, right to petition, or right of association.”

The former speaks to the SBC’s religious nature. The latter addresses the Credentials Committee’s responsibility to establish contact with Everett Hills. Four amicus briefs, available at Becket, have been filed in support of the SBC’s position.

Supreme Court accepts SBC’s appeal

The Supreme Court accepted the SBC’s appeal to review the case last summer. In January 2024, a circuit court judge rejected both the SBC’s arguments for dismissal. One year ago today, an appeals court affirmed the circuit court’s decision regarding the autonomy doctrine but reversed the decision regarding the Tennessee Public Participation Act.

The Credentials Committee was repurposed in 2019 to consider questions regarding whether a church is deemed to be in “friendly cooperation” with the SBC. One of those criteria, as outlined in the SBC Constitution, is a church’s alignment with the convention’s beliefs regarding sexual abuse.

“The process did what it was supposed to do,” said Blomberg in the hearing. “Everett Hills did not have a policy in place to ensure that their ministers were complying with the religious beliefs of the Southern Baptist Convention, and now they do.”

A ruling from the Tennessee Supreme Court is expected in the next few months.

With additional reporting by Baptist Standard.

NASHVILLE (BP)—Federal Judge William Campbell has canceled the jury trial between David and Mary Sills and the Southern Baptist Convention set for Feb. 10, 2026, calling for it to be rescheduled.

Campbell’s order came late Dec. 15, citing eight pending motions for summary judgment in the case.

“On or before January 15, 2026, the parties shall file a joint notice with agreed proposed trial dates in second half of 2026,” the order said.

Sills filed suit in November 2022, alleging “defamation, conspiracy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and wantonness concerning untrue claims of sexual abuse.”

Sills carried on a long-term sexual relationship with a former student, Jennifer Lyell. Lyell, a former Lifeway executive, alleged the relationship was abusive. Sills claims it was consensual.

Sills named in Guidepost Solutions report

Guidepost Solutions named Sills in a May 2022 report, based on its investigation of alleged mishandling of sexual abuse claims by the SBC Executive Committee.

Lyell, 47, died in June, days after she suffered a stroke at her home in Tennessee.

In September, attorneys for Sills indicated they no longer would seek damages against Lyell’s estate.

Guidepost Solutions also is named as a defendant in the suit, along with Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, its president Al Mohler, former SBC presidents Ed Litton and Bart Barber and former SBC Executive Committee representatives Willie McLaurin and Rolland Slade.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Sandy Wisdom-Martin, executive director-treasurer of national Woman’s Missionary Union, announced Dec. 10 she will retire in January 2027, marking 36 years of ministry service.

Wisdom-Martin has led national WMU, an auxiliary of the Southern Baptist Convention, since October 2016. Previously, she was executive director-treasurer of Woman’s Missionary Union of Texas.

She announced her intention to retire to the national WMU general board—comprised of state WMU presidents and executive directors—during a called meeting and then with the staff of WMU, SBC.

 “After much prayer, reflection and conversation with my family, I am asking the WMU executive board to begin the search for a new executive director-treasurer as I will retire January of 2027,” Wisdom-Martin said.

“Faithfulness in this season calls me to be present with my family in a way that cannot be sustained by the obligations of my current ministry role.

“Our mission remains unchanged because it is rooted in God’s calling, not in one individual. God’s plan for this organization is bigger than any single person’s role. I have every confidence the Lord will guide and undergird WMU. His faithfulness does not change.”

Next steps

Wisdom-Martin voiced gratitude for national WMU staff and presented next steps.

“I am proud of how you serve others so selflessly and with excellence,” she said. “I am more confident than ever in WMU’s future because of you and our valued stakeholders. I do not intend to slow down. Together, we will continue to serve faithfully.”

Wisdom-Martin said she and WMU President Connie Dixon believe God already is preparing the right person to lead WMU forward. Dixon will appoint a search committee soon.

“It is the board’s role to find the next executive director,” Wisdom-Martin said. “They will seek the Lord’s direction, confident that he will make the path clear. We will move forward with gratitude for what has been and hope for what is to come. This will not be a disruption, but a continuation of God’s unfolding story of this ministry.”

‘Passion for missions’

Jeff Iorg, president of the SBC Executive Committee, called working with Wisdom-Martin “a delight.”

“Her passion for missions, personal devotion to Jesus and determination to lead Woman’s Missionary Union to make a kingdom impact has inspired and motivated me to be a better leader,” Iorg said.

“Sandra’s genuine humility is a model for all of us. She has served with honor, and we will miss her contributions to the Great Commission Council and other national leadership platforms.”

During WMU’s January Board Meeting last year, Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board, said: “Missions in the SBC would not be what it is if it were not for WMU and if it were not for Sandy Wisdom-Martin. We are very grateful for her, and we are grateful for how you support our missionaries. They are overwhelmed with gratitude when we tell them all that you do.”

In her role, Wisdom-Martin led WMU to help raise more than $513.5 million for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering and more than $1.4 billion for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering since 2017.

In addition to helping raise funds for these two offerings, Wisdom-Martin has promoted giving to the SBC’s Cooperative Program and to the WMU Foundation to advance the gospel, as well as practical ways to involve more believers in evangelism.

Focused on mandate to make disciples

In the past 10 years, Wisdom-Martin has led WMU to be focused on its mandate of making disciples of Jesus who live on mission.

“We are failing to do the one thing Jesus told us to do, and that is to make disciples,” she said. “It is incumbent on every Christ follower to proclaim the gospel. This responsibility cannot be abdicated.

“We have church members who get married in the church and get buried in the church and live their entire life without once sharing their faith. This is the greatest tragedy of our generation, that we would not personally take responsibility for the sacred task entrusted to each of us.”

‘Sought to build bridges and strengthen relationships’

That conviction led Wisdom-Martin to seek partnerships in which WMU could provide practical resources for discipleship and evangelism. She also wrote countless articles, conferences and public addresses designed to encourage and equip others to share their faith.

“Sandy is a dynamic leader, one of the most creative thinkers I have ever known and a dedicated woman of God,” WMU President Connie Dixon said. “She has sought to build bridges and strengthen relationships with all SBC entities and leaders.

“Her genuine love for others is so apparent. Whether speaking on a national platform, writing inspiring articles, serving on a missions trip, or leading children’s Sunday school in her church each week, Sandy inspires all ages to grow stronger in their spiritual walk.”

Linda Cooper, who served as president of national WMU from 2015 until 2021 alongside Wisdom-Martin, agreed.

“A great leader is one who is both strong and kind,” Cooper said. “They lead compassionately and confidently as they inspire others. Sandy Wisdom-Martin is the epitome of a great leader.

“Her leadership has never been about her title or position. It was simply about one life influencing another to make disciples of Jesus who live on mission. Sandy certainly influenced my life and countless others whom her life touched as she has humbly led national WMU. I was honored to serve alongside her.”

Leadership during a global pandemic

During her tenure, Wisdom-Martin led the organization through a global pandemic that she described at the time as a crisis that negatively affected WMU’s bottom line, but positively amplified its mission.

Knowing church attendance and giving would be down during the COVID-19 pandemic, Wisdom-Martin engaged WMU leaders across the country in 2020 to handwrite more than 18,000 letters asking churches to support the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

With plummeting sales during a time when churches were closed and missions groups were not meeting, WMU increased efforts to engage others in missions in different ways.

Examples included reaching out to SBC seminary presidents with an offer to help international students stranded on campuses, sending daily prompts via email encouraging prayer for pastors and missionaries, working with IMB and state WMUs to help with a surge in requests for missionary housing and launching a podcast that grew to 63 episodes.

TYLER (BP)—Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary remains dismissed from claims of defamation in a case involving the school and its former president, Paige Patterson, with the latter being allowed to file again for summary judgment, a U.S District Court decided.

Judge Sean D. Jordan gave his decision Dec. 1, clarifying a remand from the 5th Circuit that ordered supplemental briefing from Patterson and Southwestern Seminary.

Seminary attorneys argued the 5th Circuit vacated only Patterson’s portion of the judgment for dismissal. The District Court agreed, saying, “All claims against SWBTS have been, and remain, dismissed.”

Claimed negligence, gross negligence and defamation

A Southwestern Seminary student sued the seminary and Patterson, its president at the time, over claims of negligence, gross negligence and defamation after alleging a fellow student sexually assaulted her.

Following Patterson’s dismissal on May 30, 2018, Southwestern Seminary donors sent a letter in his support to the seminary’s Executive Board.

The former student who brought the lawsuit contends the contents of that document—known as the “Loveless Letter” after the last name of one of those who prepared it—defamed her.

Also at issue was the role of Scott Colter, Patterson’s chief of staff and personal assistant, in helping with the letter.

Case makes its way through the courts

Although the seminary acknowledged Colter’s employment at the time the letter was sent, attorneys argued he and other employees were acting in opposition to the school’s position. The court agreed with the seminary.

The claims against Patterson and Southwestern Seminary were dismissed, with the former student appealing to the 5th Circuit.

The 5th Circuit court asked the Texas Supreme Court to weigh in on two key questions regarding the letter and a press release issued by Patterson’s lawyer.

The questions addressed liability and defamatory material supplied from one person to another for publication, and if a plaintiff can survive summary judgment by presenting evidence of defamation that doesn’t include specific statements by the defendant.

Earlier this year, the Texas Supreme Court answered “yes” to both questions. That returned the case to the 5th Circuit. The three-judge panel vacated the District Court’s ruling and ordered clarification from both parties, which led to the Dec. 1 clarification from Jordan.

The Texas Supreme Court’s clarification in answering the two questions makes a summary judgment “appropriate,” Patterson attorneys said.

Jordan agreed and granted the motion to file, also on Dec. 1. He further stated the court would issue a separate amended scheduling order, with a full briefing schedule for the motion.

LUBBOCK (BP)—Three motions at the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention annual meeting to disallow messengers from Fielder Church in Arlington because of the church’s stance on women in pastoral roles were ruled out of order.

As recently as July, staff positions at Fielder Church in Arlington—a congregation dually affiliated with the SBTC and Texas Baptists—used the term “pastor” for men and women. Those all since have been changed to “shepherd.”

Social media posts show Jason Paredes, Fielder Church’s lead shepherd, voicing his opposition in 2023 to the vote by Southern Baptist messengers to remove Saddleback Church from fellowship for employing women as pastors. Paredes further gives his unapologetic support for women serving as pastors.

Article IV of the SBTC Constitution states a church may be removed from the convention “by majority vote of the Executive Board or of the messengers at an annual session of the Convention after the following process is completed: (a) The church has received written notice of the matter prompting the Executive Board’s consideration of removal and (b) The Credentials Committee has attempted to resolve the matter by meeting with the pastor and/or leaders of the church.”

‘Due process rights’

The motions made at the SBTC annual meeting in Lubbock were dismissed on Parliamentarian Al Gage’s ruling that the two requirements for action were not satisfied.

The phrase “after the following process is completed” in the SBTC Constitution gives critical protections for churches subject to removal, Gage told Baptist Press in written comments.

“The due process rights to written notice of their pending removal and a meeting with the Credentials Committee to resolve the matter are requirements and protections for the church,” Gage stated. “Both conditions must be met for a church to be disaffiliated whether by the messengers or by the Executive Board.”

SBTC Executive Board meeting minutes from Aug. 5 include a Credentials Committee report containing information about a meeting with an unnamed church that used the title “pastor” for church staff positions filled by women.

“The church confirmed that they would change the title and no longer use ‘pastor’ for staff positions filled by women,” the report said.

The SBTC Executive Board voted at that time to form a committee to review the Constitution and Bylaws. The documents will be reviewed in their entirety, with a focus on polity and affiliation requirements as they relate to the office and title of pastor. Proposed amendments will be published 90 days before a messenger vote at the 2026 SBTC annual meeting.

The Baptist Standard requested a response from Fielder Church but did not receive a reply prior to the publication deadline.

Continuing controversy in the SBC

In the Southern Baptist Convention, the so-called Law Amendment, which addressed church affiliation in the SBC Constitution and the role of pastor being reserved for men, has been brought before messengers three times since 2023. Ultimately, it has fallen short of the two-thirds majority two years in a row required for passage.

SBC President Clint Pressley shared his thoughts about Fielder Church on social media. Pressley said he thinks the congregation is “in clear violation” of the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message.

He expressed confidence the matter will be discussed at the next SBC annual meeting in Orlando.

Pressley also reposted comments from Andrew Walker, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary ethics and theology professor who chaired the SBC Resolutions Committee at the 2025 SBC annual meeting.

Walker said that “our confessional standards say what they mean and mean what they say. The moment we start treating them like a ‘living constitution,’ we abandon both their authority and our integrity—and that never ends well.”

Southern Seminary President Al Mohler posted about the matter on social media, saying failure to address the issue directly “as a necessary principle of cooperation” would be akin to “surrender[ing] to unbiblical ambiguity.”

“The Southern Baptist Convention will not survive ambiguity on the question of female pastors, whatever they are called,” he wrote on X. “The Baptist Faith & Message is clear that the office of pastor is held only by men as called for in Scripture. This is clearly about both office and function.”

CLEARWATER, Fla. (BP)—Florida pastor Willy Rice announced his intentions to be nominated for Southern Baptist Convention president at the 2026 SBC annual meeting in Orlando.

In a video released Oct. 31, Rice said he is allowing the nomination based on his hope for renewal in the SBC.

Rice, 62, has served 21 years as senior pastor at Calvary Church in Clearwater.

“Can you honestly look back over the last few years and conclude we are more united and more on mission? Or do you feel like I do? And like so many I hear from that there are real concerns that call for serious reflection, humble correction and a new day of renewal,” Rice said in the video.

He said his focus would be on renewing the message and the mission of the convention.

“In this hour of apostasy and idolatry, we need to reaffirm and restate our convictions. Such a time calls not for fuzzy lines in a mushy middle, it calls for clarity and courage. We don’t need to look for something new. We need to stand on what we know is true,” he said.

In 2022, now-SBC President Clint Pressley announced he would nominate Rice for president at that year’s annual meeting in Anaheim, Calif., but Rice later decided not to seek the nomination.

Emphasis on the Great Commission

In the Oct. 31 video, Rice talked about the 2,000th anniversary of the Great Commission, which he said will occur “somewhere around May of 2033.”

“What if as we approach that once-in-a-lifetime moment, Southern Baptists were to unite as never before to make sure every person in our nation heard the message of Jesus and was urged to respond in repentance and faith, and imagine Southern Baptists embracing a historic generational goal to get the gospel into every tongue, every nation and every tribe across the globe,” he said.

More than any other generation of Christians, “we have all we need” for the mission, Rice said.

“What we have lacked is the resolve, the vision, the unity, the focus and the commitment to see it through. We have allowed other pursuits to distract us and tainted ideologies to divide us,” he said.

Rice plans to hold “conversations” with Southern Baptists over the coming months to work through potential differences.

“I pray those conversations will be without unnecessary acrimony, that they will glorify our Savior and edify the church,” he said in the video.

“Regardless of your views, I hope you’ll join me in praying for a Baptist renewal in our time and praying specifically that our gathering next summer can be a time of reaffirming our convictions and recommitting to our shared mission.”

Giving record and denominational involvement

According to its 2025 Annual Church Profile statistics and the church’s financial office, Calvary Church gave $343,549 through the Cooperative Program, approximately 3 percent of its undesignated contributions; $52,222 to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering giving; and $76,351 to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

Calvary Church reported 409 baptisms in 2024 and 3,055 people in average worship attendance.

Rice previously pastored churches in Florida and Alabama. He is a graduate of Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., and has a Master of Divinity degree and a Doctor of Ministry degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

He and his wife Cheryl have three children and six grandchildren.

Rice served as president of the Florida Baptist Convention from 2006 to 2008, and he served as president of the SBC Pastors’ Conference in 2015.

He has also served as chairman of the SBC Committee on Committees in 2010, chair of the SBC Committee on Nominations in 2016 and president of the Florida Baptist Convention Pastors’ Conference in 2004, along with other local, state and national positions.

Rice also served as a trustee for the North American Mission Board from 2018 to 2022, including stints as second and first vice chairman.

NASHVILLE (BP)—Morris H. Chapman, former pastor, former Southern Baptist Convention president, former SBC Executive Committee president and champion of the Cooperative Program, died Oct. 20, at age 84.

The last SBC president during the so-called conservative resurgence to be opposed by a moderate candidate, Chapman led the SBC to remain focused on the Great Commission as moderates broke away.

Under his leadership as Executive Committee president, Cooperative Program giving reached a record high yet to be matched.

Chapman was given the honorary title of president emeritus of the Executive Committee upon his retirement in 2010.

“In a world where so many have fallen, he was faithful to the end,” current SBC President Clint Pressley posted on social media in tribute to Chapman. “Southern Baptists like me owe men like him a debt of gratitude. Praying the Lord is close to his family and especially his widow Jodi in the days ahead.”

“Morris Chapman led with passion and integrity,” said current SBC Executive Committee President Jeff Iorg. “He was a champion for cooperation and our global mission. He was also a friend who encouraged me for many years—including after my election as president of the EC. We honor him and pray for his family in their loss.”

Born in Kosciusko, Miss., on Thanksgiving Day, 1940, Chapman professed faith in Christ at age 7 at First Baptist Church in Laurel, Miss., was called to ministry at age 12 and recognized a call to preach at age 21.

After graduating from Mississippi College, Chapman earned master of divinity and doctor of ministry degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was ordained to the ministry at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tenn., when Ramsey Pollard was pastor.

Chapman served as pastor of four churches in Texas and New Mexico during a span of 25 years: First Baptist Church in Rogers from 1967 to 1969; First Baptist Church in Woodway from 1969 to 1974; First Baptist Church in Albuquerque, N.M., from 1974 to 1979; and First Baptist Church in Wichita Falls from 1979 to 1992.

Along the way, Chapman was active in denominational life, serving two terms as president of the Baptist Convention of New Mexico and as a member of the Executive Board of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

In 1984, Chapman felt a growing burden for revival among Southern Baptists and led First Baptist in Wichita Falls to pray by name for each of the 36,000 Southern Baptist churches as well as SBC entities.

During that five-month period and beyond, the church received hundreds of responses from across the nation testifying to the impact of the effort.

During Chapman’s pastorate in Wichita Falls, First Baptist was consistently in the top 1 percent of Southern Baptist churches for giving through the Cooperative Program as well as for baptisms. Under his leadership there, Cooperative Program gifts reached 16 percent of total undesignated receipts and baptisms each year averaged more than 160.

SBC presidency

After serving as president of the SBC Pastors’ Conference in 1986 and preaching the convention sermon at the SBC annual meeting in 1989, Chapman’s peers looked to him as the conservative nominee for SBC president in 1990.

While Adrian Rogers in 1979 was the first in a string of conservatives elected over moderate candidates during the so-called conservative resurgence, Chapman was the last. His election marked the end of moderates’ attempts to win the presidency, and the following year he ran unopposed.

When he was elected in 1992, Morris said he saw his role as rallying Southern Baptists together.

“I see myself as carrying out the will of the majority and carrying out genuine healing among Southern Baptists,” Chapman said after his election was announced during a February 1992 meeting of the Executive Committee, according to Baptist Press archives.

As president of the SBC, he also emphasized the need for the SBC to focus on evangelism and prayer and called churches around the country to pray while he was SBC president.

“The desperate need for spiritual awakening in this nation has been ever present in my thoughts,” he said at the time.

Chapman appointed two task forces as president: one on spiritual awakening and the other on family ministry. He warned that the “moral fiber of our nation will soon be shredded beyond repair” if the erosion of the family was not reversed.

James Merritt, another former SBC president, said Chapman helped the denomination get back on track after the end of that battle by focusing on the Cooperative Program, the SBC’s long-running program for funding missions and national ministries.

He referred to Chapman as a “Christian gentleman” devoted to the SBC.

“Morris came out at a very strategic time,” said Merritt. “Healing needed to take place. He struck a good chord, trying to bring people together.”

When moderate Southern Baptists began to explore options for redirecting their Cooperative Program gifts to bypass the SBC Executive Committee, Chapman opposed “any deviation from this proven practice of cooperation.”

Moderates officially formed the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship while Chapman was SBC president in 1991. At that year’s meeting in Atlanta, Chapman pushed for extending Southern Baptist outreach in the host city for the annual meeting each year. It became a week-long effort and was renamed “Crossover” at Chapman’s suggestion.

Executive Committee leadership

With Chapman championing cooperative giving, the Cooperative Program allocation budget receipts distributed to SBC entities grew by 44 percent during Chapman’s 18 years as Executive Committee president.

Receipts exceeded the annual Cooperative Program allocation budget 15 years in a row from 1994 through 2008, falling off slightly during a global economic crisis.

Total giving through the Cooperative Program to state Baptist conventions reached a record high of $548,205,099 in 2007-08. Even without an adjustment for inflation, that is 23 percent higher than the most recent year.

In his role at the Executive Committee, Chapman led the implementation of the conservative resurgence vision, preaching throughout the convention and emphasizing the full authority, inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible.

To prepare Southern Baptists for the 21st century, Chapman initiated a study committee that led to the Covenant for a New Century in 1995, a plan that streamlined convention entities for improved effectiveness.

Ben Cole, a longtime friend of the Chapman family, referred to Chapman as a denominational statesman.

“Dr. Chapman never saw himself as the commanding officer nor the Executive Committee as the flagship of the Southern Baptist Convention,” Cole said in a text message. “Neither did he serve as captain of a denominational battleship forever stirring waters of strife among his brethren.

“He will be fondly remembered by honest churchmen as a trustworthy ballast during seasons of theological retrieval and institutional realignment.”

Unlike other leaders of the so-called conservative resurgence whose ministries ended in scandal, Chapman was known for his personal integrity.

He was not above controversy, though, especially when clashing with those he thought might undermine the SBC or the Cooperative Program.

In 2009, during his speech at the Southern Baptist Convention, he criticized then-popular megachurch pastor Mark Driscoll as someone whose behavior was unfit for pastors.

He also criticized a move to cut funding to the Executive Committee.

Chapman, while he denounced abusers, opposed starting a database to track abusive church leaders.

Chapman is survived by his wife Jodi, his son and daughter-in-law Chris and Renee Chapman, his daughter and son-in-law Stephanie and Scott Evans, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

With additional reporting by Bob Smietana of Religion News Service.