Baptist Briefs
Alliance members not necessarily out of SBC. Membership in a group that welcomes and affirms gays does not automatically disqualify a church from participation in the Southern Baptist Convention, the SBC Executive Committee decided at its most recent meeting. In 2009, the convention expelled Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth after investigating the congregation and learning it allows homosexual members to serve on committees. Last year, a messenger at the annual meeting made a motion—subsequently referred to the Executive Committee—to take similar action against churches that affiliate with the Alliance of Baptists, an organization that has adopted statements supporting gay marriage and welcomes members regardless of sexual identity. SBC leaders said it would be unwise to disqualify a church simply because the Alliance claims it as a member. Should questions arise about a particular church’s qualifications, they will continue to be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Committee nixes biennial SBC schedule. The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee has recommended against changing from an annual meeting to holding its convention every other year. Responding to a motion from last summer’s convention, the Executive Committee said the change would save several hundred thousands of dollars in years the convention doesn’t meet, but it would create numerous constitutional problems. For instance, SBC bylaws require annual ministry and financial reports. If there were an advantage to meeting every other year, convention officials said the earliest it could be accomplished is 2015, because contracts have been signed until then for annual meetings.
Funding cut for SBC Executive Committee. The Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention will ask messengers at this year’s annual meeting to reduce its own share of the Cooperative Program unified budget by two-tenths of a percent. It marks the first step of a seven-year process proposed by the agency’s new CEO to move toward a level of 2.4 percent Cooperative Program allocation for administration. Frank Page, president of the administrative body that carries on work of the nation’s second-largest faith group between annual meetings, urged committee members to support his vision for modeling “a Christ-like selflessness” to build trust in a formerly growing denomination now in numerical and fiscal decline. Page, who has been on the job five months, already reduced staff by 19 percent. In 2011-2012, the Executive Committee is proposing a new SBC operating budget reduced from the current 3.4 percent Cooperative Program allocation it has received since assuming responsibility for stewardship education and promotion in 2007 to a 3.2 percent level.
Luncheon set for ministers’ wives. The Southern Baptist Convention Ministers’ Wives Luncheon will be at noon, June 14, in the convention center’s north ballroom in Phoenix, Ariz. Lisa Harper, author of nine books and a speaker on the Women of Faith conference tour, will be the keynote speaker. Tickets are $20 at the door or $15 if secured in advance from LifeWay Women’s Events at (800) 254-2022 or at www.lifeway.com. For more information, call (700) 794-2982 or e-mail sandy.beeter@jfbc.org.