Executive Committee trustees reject nominee for president

Trustees of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee overwhelmingly rejected a search committee’s nominee for president and CEO of the agency.

Of the 81 votes cast at the special called meeting on May 1 at a hotel near Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Jared Wellman—pastor of Tate Springs Baptist Church in Arlington and, until two weeks ago, chair of the Executive Committee—received only 31.

Willie McLaurin, who has served as interim president of the Executive Committee since the abrupt resignation of Ronnie Floyd in October 2022, will continue to lead the agency in an interim capacity.

“Obviously, I’m disappointed about the outcome of today, but I’m hopeful for the future as a new committee begins their work,” said David Sons, new Executive Committee chair and a member of the previous search committee.

Baptist Press reported Wellman told the Executive Committee after the vote, “It’s been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve the Southern Baptist Convention through the Executive Committee.” Wellman told the group his “heart is with” the Executive Committee in the days ahead.

‘Not a rubber stamp’

SBC President Bart Barber, pastor of First Baptist Church in Farmersville, noted the Executive Committee was united in its assessment of Wellman as “a godly man, a good Southern Baptist and a strong leader.”

“Everyone can see now that the Executive Committee is not a rubber stamp,” Barber said. “It is a collection of people who take seriously our polity and who vote their conscience.”

In a statement he released to Baptist Press, former search committee Chair Adron Robinson said: “The committee worked hard to serve the Executive Committee by presenting the candidate that we felt was qualified to lead the Executive Committee in these turbulent times.

“We respect the decision of our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we commit to praying for the new search committee as they begin their work.”

In accordance with its bylaws, the Executive Committee elected a new search committee. Its members are Corey Cain of Tennessee, Neal Hughes of Alabama, Drew Landry of Virginia, Sarah Rogers of South Carolina, Nick Sandefur of Kentucky, Nancy Spradling of Michigan. Sons will serve as an ex-officio member of the search committee.

“The process essentially will start over,” as the new search committee meets to elect its chair, vice chair and secretary, Sons explained in a news conference after the Executive Committee meeting.

‘Process’ at the center of debate

While the Executive Committee met behind closed doors in executive session, based on what Sons said in the news conference, “process” seemed to be an operative word in its discussions.

Over the weekend prior to the board meeting, some Southern Baptists voiced concern about the process leading to Wellman’s nomination and the failure of Baptist Press to report Wellman’s resignation as chair until April 30.

In an open letter, A.B. Vines, pastor of New Seasons Church in San Diego, Calif., and former vice president of the SBC, asked how an ex-officio member of the search committee was granted an interview in a process he helped develop.

“Brothers, this does not pass the smell test,” Vines wrote.

Wellman recused himself from the search process on Jan. 26 after members of the committee asked him to consider allowing his nomination as a candidate, Sons said at the news conference after the Executive Committee meeting.

“He was invited into the process. He did not insert himself into the process,” Sons explained.

In particular, Vines and some other prominent Black Southern Baptist pastors questioned why McLaurin—who received two interviews for the permanent post as president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee—was not selected. McLaurin would have become the first African American to head any SBC entity or institution.

“How come Southern Baptists always seem to have issues with hiring a person of color for a senior leadership position?” Vines asked.

On Twitter, Dwight McKissic, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, praised Wellman as “a good man, [an] effective & competent leader, one who exudes character & courage, & whose heart is in the right place on matters that concern me most.”

However, he lamented the lost opportunity to name a person of color with a proven track record as the leader of an SBC agency or institution.

“David Dockery was interim president at SWBTS for a few months and was elected President. Willie McLaurin was interim president of the EC for 18 months, and was passed over for president. … The fear many of us have is this: if McLaurin doesn’t qualify to be an entity head, who will?” McKissic tweeted.

For his part, McLaurin called on Southern Baptists to pray for the newly elected search committee.

“Now is the time for Southern Baptists to unite around living out the Great Commandment and fulfilling the Great Commission,” he said.

The Executive Committee is scheduled to meet next on June 12 in New Orleans, just prior to the SBC annual meeting.