SEYMOUR, Tenn. (BP)—Dan Spencer, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Sevierville, Tenn., has become the sixth nominee for president of the Southern Baptist Convention at the 2024 SBC annual meeting June 11-12 in Indianapolis.

Chris Kendall, senior pastor of Oak City Baptist Church in Seymour, Tenn., informed the Baptist and Reflector April 11 of his intention to nominate Spencer, who has been the pastor at First Baptist in Sevierville since 2011.

Kendall said he is a Southern Baptist by choice, and he loves the SBC for two primary reasons—the autonomy of the local church and the spirit of cooperation.

“Over the past several years, our Southern Baptist network has been marked by controversy and contention. I believe that Dan Spencer is the unifier that would benefit our collective to refocus on what matters most. It’s the people that God has put before us to reach with the gospel and make disciples,” he said.

“His love for God and people has positioned him to make the necessary biblical decisions (as a leader) when it comes to faith and practice. … Dan is competent to lead at the denominational level. He also has what’s most essential—the character to back it up.”

Spencer has a long Southern Baptist heritage. He is the great-great nephew of M.E. Dodd, “the father of the Cooperative Program” and the great-great grandson of George Martin Savage, who was president of Union University and Dodd’s father-in-law.

His father, Jerry Spencer, has been a Southern Baptist evangelist and pastor since 1957.

Spencer was called to ministry in 1986 while on a youth choir tour/mission trip to Toronto, Canada, from his home church of Brownsville Baptist Church in Brownsville, Tenn.

Spencer has been involved in Southern Baptist life more than two decades. He preached at the SBC Pastors’ Conference in 2001 and was a member of the SBC Committee on Committees in 2005. Spencer served as president of the Georgia Baptist Convention from 2009 to 2011 and served as a director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board from 2015 to 2019.

During his tenure at First Baptist in Sevierville, the church has been one of Tennessee’s leaders in baptisms and in giving through the Cooperative Program.

In 2023, the church gave $542,915 through the Cooperative Program, or 9.09 percent of $5,972,068 in undesignated gifts. Also last year, the church reported 64 baptisms and $659,425 in gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

Kendall believes Spencer has the ability to “rally the diverse collective of churches and pastors together to master and major on the main thing—the Great Commission.”

Kendall added he believes Spencer would complement the work of Jeff Iorg, the new president / CEO of the SBC Executive Committee.

“He would be the right fit for Dr. Iorg in this inaugural annual meeting for our new EC president,” he said.

Spencer joins fellow Tennessee pastor Jared Moore of Cumberland Homesteads Baptist Church in Crossville as a nominee, as well as Bruce Frank, pastor of Biltmore Baptist Church, Asheville, N.C.; Clint Pressley, Hickory Grove Baptist Church, Charlotte, N.C.; Mike Keahbone, First Baptist Church, Lawton, Okla.; and David Allen, professor and dean at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Cordova, Tenn.

LENEXA, Kansas (BP)—David Crowther, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Wichita, Kan., will be nominated for Southern Baptist Convention first vice president.

Steve Dighton, pastor emeritus of Lenexa Baptist Church in Lenexa, Kan., announced he will nominate Crowther at the 2024 SBC annual meeting June 11-12 in Indianapolis.

“David Crowther is a young dynamic leader and one who would thrive in this position of leadership,” Dighton said.

“He is humble, a servant leader, a gifted preacher and a loving shepherd. He is a consensus builder and desires to see us flourish in the years to come.”

Crowther became Immanuel’s senior pastor in November 2019. He previously served churches in North Carolina, South Carolina and Kentucky.

He currently is first vice president of the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists.

Dighton says Immanuel Church “has grown numerically, increasing baptisms, mission offerings and mission giving,” under Crowther’s leadership.

Crowther has also helped the church to increase Cooperative Program giving, Dighton added.

In 2023, the church reported 557 people in average worship attendance and 41 baptisms, according to the SBC Annual Church Profile. The church gave $72,636 (5 percent) of $1,455,921 in undesignated offerings to the Cooperative Program; $25,833 to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and $992 to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering.

Crowther holds a bachelor’s degree from Anderson University, a Master of Divinity degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a doctorate in philosophy from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

He and his wife Laura have three children.

He joins Michael Clary as an announced candidate to be nominated for SBC first vice president.

DALLAS (BP)—The Southern Baptist Convention’s Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force met with state leaders to preview the report it will present to the 2024 SBC annual meeting in June.

The group met in Dallas April 9 for a day that included presentations, roundtable discussions and question-and-answer times.

“I’m really grateful for the positive spirit of collaboration and mutual commitment to abuse reform in the room during our meeting today,” Chairman Josh Wester said after the meeting.

“It was encouraging to see leaders from across our convention come together, eager to share and learn from each other as we work to become an abuse-free family of churches. This gives me a lot of hope for the future.”

Kelley Lammers, a therapist and a layperson at a small church in northeast Arkansas, told BP her experience on the implementation task force has been life changing.

“I guess I just always thought the church was immune to major secular issues,” she said. “I’ve had to just do some research and see, oh my goodness, evil is everywhere.

“I had to do an about face, even within my own church and say, ‘You know, we haven’t done these things to protect our church and to care for members who may be around us and may have experienced these things.’ … I’m a therapist and I don’t take that into my church setting like that—the idea that individuals can be revictimized simply by coming into a church setting that isn’t sensitive,” she continued.

“We don’t alter our message or necessarily even alter our ways, but sometimes we just need to alter our heart.”

Step in the right direction

Lammers said the April 9 meeting was another step in the right direction.

“As a therapist, I’m deeply invested in making real change for abuse reform in our convention,” she said. “Witnessing leaders from different corners of the SBC engage in open dialogue, eager to pool our collective wisdom on building a safer environment for our churches, fills me with immense optimism. I think we’re laying the groundwork for a future where churches are proactive in preventing abuse and serious about caring well for survivors.”

Lammers said roughly half of the Baptist state conventions were represented at the meeting, adding that involvement at the state level and ultimately the church level is key.

“Everything important happens at the church level,” she said. “So we wanted to talk to them and invite them in and open the floor for questions. And we wanted to just be transparent and share where we are.”

Progress on goals noted

Task force members shared with state leaders three specific goals they have worked toward in the past year: an online database of convicted abusers; a sexual abuse prevention and care curriculum for churches; and a permanent home for abuse reform within the SBC.

The first goal is nearing the finish line, Lammers said, adding the task force has worked hard to solve the logistical challenges of a database of convicted abusers.

The second goal was realized in the form of the Essentials Sexual Abuse Prevention and Response Training curriculum, unveiled at the SBC Executive Committee’s meeting in February and ready to be launched for all Southern Baptists at the annual meeting.

Lammers said state leaders gave positive feedback about the curriculum at the Dallas meeting.

The curriculum is based on five major pillars for churches regarding sexual abuse—train, protect, screen, respond and care.

Lammers said the curriculum was written with churches like hers in mind—small churches with few full-time staff. It leads churches through the five pillars in a very practical way.

“And it’s not only like ‘this is what you should do,’ but literal examples of phone calls you can make [and] a flow chart a pastor can take,” she said.

“If an allegation occurs, if someone in your church calls the pastor, here’s the first thing you do. Here’s the second thing you do. Here’s the conversation. … Let’s say someone comes into your church who is on a sex offender registry, what do you do?”

The third goal—finding a permanent home for abuse reform—has presented the biggest challenge, Lammers said, and it remains unfinished, though the task force hopes to have “definitive answers” before the annual meeting in June.

‘Came away encouraged and equipped’

Greg Teel, president of the Colorado Baptist Convention and chair of that convention’s Sexual Abuse Prevention and Response Task Force, was at the Dallas meeting. He said he is “grateful to God for the fine work” of the implementation task force.

“I felt we all came away encouraged and equipped to serve our SBC churches and God’s kingdom better,” said Teel, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Delta, Colo.

Teel said the implementation task force “is doing a remarkable job addressing the issues they have been tasked with.”

“In addition, I personally feel certain that I am better equipped to serve Colorado Baptists,” he said. “I know that I have more colleagues in ministry to network and consult with to address Colorado Baptists’ needs.”

The day before the meeting, implementation task force members met on their own as a total solar eclipse made its way over the Dallas area. The group took a break to go up on the roof of a parking garage to witness it.

Lammers said the moment was a reminder of who is ultimately in control.

“Down to the second, the NASA scientists knew when we would see it,” she said. “[God] is in control, but he gives us brains and brilliant people around that can solve problems.

“We can do this,” she said of sexual abuse reform. “We can do this. And not just us, but the SBC, we can do this. … I left the eclipse feeling really optimistic.”

FORT WORTH (BP)—Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary trustees heard reports of renewed financial stability and enrollment growth during their April 9-10 meeting.

“Southwestern Seminary is in a very different place than in September 2022,” said President David Dockery. “All this has happened because of God’s providential kindness to us.”

Board Chair Jonathan Richard said the seminary’s current financial situation is “stronger than it has been in years, and I know that with continued hard work and sacrifice, the financial future is hopeful.”

The board approved a $35.6 million budget for the 2025 fiscal year, a decrease of $300,000 from the originally approved budget for the current year.

Dockery told trustees the seminary is “very hopeful” about ongoing giving to the institution. He noted unrestricted giving is “steady” and temporarily unrestricted giving is “ahead of the last three years.”

The seminary’s operational budget is “in a good place,” more than $1.5 million ahead of the same time last year, he said. Currently, the seminary has $8.4 million in cash “which no one would have imagined this time last year,” he added.

‘From crisis to challenge to stability’

Dockery also mentioned the $3.4 million that was placed in a “quasi-endowment fund” overseen by the board.

“We have moved from crisis to challenge to stability,” Dockery observed.

He added: “We’re not yet at a place where we can call institutional health. We still have work to do to get there.”

The seminary will “continue to work as hard and as wisely and as carefully as we can, but we must not fail to give thanks to God for answering our prayer,” Dockery said.

Dockery noted one-third of the objectives of the Advance Southwestern 2030 institutional plan, which trustees adopted in the spring 2023 meeting, have been completed.

During the meeting, Dockery publicly thanked the board officers for their decision to give him a raise and bonus, which he declined, explaining he wanted all employees to be rewarded while the president should be last.

Richard said Dockery’s actions were “the Lord affirming to me that we have the right man in the president’s office.”

Increased enrollment reported

Dockery reported an increase in enrollment and hours taught. He reported 34,836 credit hours taught in the 2022-2023 academic year, representing an increase of 1,583 credit hours from the previous academic year. Enrollment also showed an increase of 171 students in the 2022-2023 academic year from the prior year.

Dockery noted an increase of 479 credit hours taught in the fall of 2023 compared to the fall 2022 semester, and the 15,821 credit hours taught in fall 2023 also reflected an increase of 1,066 credit hours taught compared to fall 2021.

The spring 2024 academic semester includes 2,711 students, an increase of 71 students enrolled in spring 2023, which was up from 2,561 the year prior, he said.

Dockery said that “uptick in credit hours is the key to our stable tuition revenue line, which is so important for our overall budget.”

He noted the total hours taught for spring 2024 has increased by almost 600 hours over spring 2023—14,709 credit hours taught in the current semester compared to 14,152 credit hours taught in spring 2023. The credit hours taught in spring 2024 represent an increase of more than 1,350 credit hours taught compared to spring 2022.

Citing data from the Association of Theological Schools annual enrollment report, which includes 274 divinity schools and seminaries, Dockery said in the fall 2023 semester, Southwestern moved to 5th in total enrollment and 6th in total credit hours taught.

The increases in enrollment and total credit hours taught make Southwestern 3rd and 4th, respectively, among Southern Baptist seminaries.

Dockery also noted Southwestern was 3rd among all of the ATS institutions regarding the total number of graduates in the past year and 9th concerning the size of the total endowment.

He added no other Southern Baptist school finished in the top 10 in all four categories of number of graduates, enrollment, credit hours taught and endowment. He said the ranking “distinguishes Southwestern in a meaningful way” for which he gave “thanks to God.”

Providing a breakdown of the current student body, Dockery said 23 percent of students are women, while international students make up 26 percent of students. Additionally, 58 percent are online students. He reported 40 percent of students are white, 28 percent are Asian, 21 percent are Hispanic, 5 percent are Black, and 6 percent of unknown ethnicity.

Carl J. Bradford, assistant professor of evangelism, was appointed as dean of Texas Baptist College, the undergraduate school of Southwestern Seminary. His appointment is effective May 6.

Trustees named O.S. Hawkins, chancellor and senior professor of pastoral ministry and evangelism, to the L.R. Scarborough Chair of Evangelism (“Chair of Fire”); Lilly H. Park, associate professor of biblical counseling, to The Hultgren Chair of Ministerial Counseling; Okinaga to the Hope for the Heart Chair of Biblical Counseling; and Joseph R. Crider, dean of the School of Church Music and Worship, to the McKinney Chair of Church Music.

Richard of New Mexico, Robert Brown of Tennessee and Angela Duncan, an at-large trustee, who have served as chairman, vice chairman, and secretary, respectively, were re-elected to one-year terms as officers of the board.

The next board meeting is scheduled Oct. 21-23.

NEW ORLEANS (BP)—Nearly a year after its original dismissal, attorneys argued the merits of a lawsuit against Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Paige Patterson, the school’s former president, before a three-judge appeals court panel April 3.

Plaintiff “Jane Roe” filed suit against Patterson and the seminary in 2019, claiming negligence, violation of privacy and defamation. She alleges she was sexually assaulted at gunpoint on at least three occasions in late 2014 and early 2015 by “John Doe,” a student with a criminal history, who also was employed as a plumber by the school.

Claims against both parties were dismissed April 6 of last year by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, but Roe appealed.

Ultimately, she seeks a jury trial on the facts of the case. Due to the sensitive nature of her allegations, many of the case’s documents have been sealed.

Focus on claims of defamation and negligence

In the April 3 hearing, Roe’s attorney, Sheila Haddock, focused her argument on two of her client’s claims—a defamation claim against Patterson and a negligence claim against Southwestern Seminary.

The defamation allegation comes from statements made in defense of Patterson after Roe’s sexual assault claims came to light. Patterson’s handling of the incident was one of the issues considered by Southwestern Seminary trustees prior to his termination in 2018.

In the weeks following Patterson’s departure, his supporters released and distributed information attempting to explain and/or defend his actions.

Roe maintains that some of the claims in those documents—including allegations she made false statements and had consensual sex outside of marriage—are defamatory toward her.

In court, Haddock argued some of the documents’ authors, including Sharaya Colter, wife of longtime Patterson aide Scott Colter, were acting as “agents” of Patterson in writing and disseminating the articles.

In his rebuttal, Patterson’s attorney, Travis Jones, said there was no evidence Patterson authorized any parties to make public statements on his behalf. He also asserted most of the assertions in the documents do not constitute “defamation per se.”

“The record evidence is that there’s no evidence tying Dr. Patterson to any of these alleged defamatory statements,” Jones said. “Nothing occurred within the scope of the agency relationship.”

With regard to the negligence charge against the seminary, attorney Brian Rutherford said none of the evidence submitted shows seminary officials could have foreseen Doe would commit sexual assault against Roe. He also argued the school followed its normal admission and hiring procedures with regard to Doe.

Finally, Rutherford said, since Patterson’s employment at Southwestern Seminary had ended prior to the dissemination of the alleged defamatory material, his client, the seminary, should be dismissed from those claims.

In her closing arguments, Haddock urged the judges to allow the case to proceed to trial.

“There are disputed fact issues even within just the testimony that was offered in support of a defendant’s motions for summary judgment,” she said. “And this court has told us that in cases like that, summary judgment is simply not appropriate.”

BRENTWOOD, Tenn.—The Southern Baptist Convention not only faces declining membership, but also fewer churches to attract potential new members.

According to Lifeway Research’s analysis of the 2022 Annual Church Profile of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1,253 congregations that were part of the convention in 2021 no longer were connected to the SBC in 2022.

The analysis is based on the most recent Annual Church Profile data available. The 2023 report will be released soon.

Among the 50,423 active congregations in the Southern Baptist Convention in 2021, 2 percent disbanded or closed and 0.5 percent left or were disaffiliated from the convention by the time the 2022 data was compiled.

Some churches were planted to offset that number, but the SBC saw 416 fewer churches and 165 fewer church-type missions associated with the convention in 2022 than in 2021.

The lack of new churches to replace the number of churches closing is a broader issue within U.S. Protestantism. Previous Lifeway Research analysis found about 4,500 Protestant churches were closed in the United States in 2019, while only around 3,000 were started.

“Every week, the national network of Southern Baptist congregations changes,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “New churches are added. Relationships are updated. Churches move, merge, change names and vote to disband.

“Once each year, we take a snapshot of the current Southern Baptist congregations to report national statistics. Later, analysis between annual lists of congregations reveals more details of these constant changes.”

The primary reason congregations no longer are considered active Southern Baptist congregations is they cease to exist. Around 4 in 5 of the missing congregations (79 percent) disbanded/closed, leaving Southern Baptists with 984 fewer congregations.

Within that group, 813 (83 percent) closed. Another 136 (14 percent) merged into another Southern Baptist congregation. Fewer became part of a non-Southern Baptist church (17 or 2 percent), never got started (8 or 1 percent) or are now a campus of another church (10 or 1 percent).

Aside from the congregations that disbanded/closed with a reason given, most other previously Southern Baptist congregations either left the convention or were disaffiliated (228 or 18 percent).

Fewer were updated to be classified as a new church work or not yet a church (29 or 2 percent) or existed as a ministry, not a congregation (2 or less than 1 percent). Another 10 (1 percent) disbanded/closed and no reason is known.

“The count of congregations that either left or were disaffiliated is based on whether they were affiliated when the annual dataset was compiled,” McConnell said. “The affiliation is removed if either the congregation or the Southern Baptist Convention informs administrators that it has ended.

“The goal is to make updates to affiliation as they happen, not to assign responsibility to anyone for the separation.”

The number of congregations that disbanded or closed and left or disaffiliated from 2021 to 2022 is higher than the previous two years when 1,003 and 1,002 congregations ceased being part of the SBC.

“Many expected the number of church closings to spike because of the pandemic,” McConnell said. “While temporary closures were widespread, permanent closures did not immediately surge. It was not until 2022 that an increase in disbanded congregations was measured in the SBC.”

In the 2021 analysis of 2020 data, 1,003 churches were considered no longer active Southern Baptist congregations. Among those were 780 that closed or disbanded with a known reason (78 percent), 47 where the reason was unknown (5 percent), 165 that left or were disaffiliated (16 percent), 10 were new church works or not yet a church (1 percent), and one existed as a ministry, not a congregation (less than 1 percent).

Of the 780 with a reason recorded for closing or disbanding, 654 closed (84 percent), 82 merged into another Southern Baptist church (11 percent), 27 became part of a non-Southern Baptist church (3 percent), 11 became a campus of another church (1 percent) and six never got started (1 percent).

Examination of the 2019 data in 2020 revealed 1,002 churches ceased being part of the SBC, including 845 with a reason recorded for disbanding or closing (84 percent), 37 without a reason (4 percent), 105 that left or were disaffiliated (10 percent), 12 were a new church work (1 percent) and three existed as a ministry, not a congregation (less than 1 percent).

Among those from 2019 to 2020 that disbanded with a given reason, 684 closed (81 percent), 104 merged into another Southern Baptist church (12 percent), 32 merged into a non-Southern Baptist church (4 percent), 15 never got started (2 percent) and 10 became a campus of a new church (1 percent).

“It can be painful for all involved when an active congregation and the convention separate,” McConnell said. “While the number of congregations who left or were disaffiliated doubled in 2022, more than four times as many were removed from the Southern Baptist Convention’s congregation list because the last few remaining members voted to cease to be a congregation.”

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (BP)—North Carolina pastor Bruce Frank will be nominated for Southern Baptist Convention president at the 2024 SBC annual meeting by Tennessee pastor John Mark Harrison.

“I have known Bruce personally for many years. When I led student ministry at Biltmore Church, Bruce became the pastor, and our plateaued church began to grow,” said Harrison, now lead pastor of First Baptist Concord in Knoxville, Tenn. “His relentless passion for evangelism and disciple-making changed the direction of our church.”

Chaired SBC Sexual Abuse Task Force

Frank has been the lead pastor at Biltmore Baptist Church, which has several campuses in and around Asheville, N.C., since 2008. In 2021 and 2022, he served as the chair of the SBC’s Sexual Abuse Task Force overseeing the independent investigation of the SBC Executive Committee for the alleged mishandling of sexual abuse claims.

The task force’s recommendations led to the creation of the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force.

Frank previously was pastor of First Baptist Church in Humble before coming to North Carolina.

“Bruce has provided faithful pastoral leadership for three decades,” Harrison said in written comments. “He has served both the church and convention with sacrificial leadership. He’s theologically conservative, strategically minded and missionally focused. He will clearly and effectively focus our denomination on the Great Commission.”

Biltmore Church recorded 384 baptisms in 2023 and averaged 7,331 people across eight multisite locations, according to SBC Workspace. The church reported $14,476,412 in total undesignated receipts, giving $235,000 (1.62 percent) through the Cooperative Program, $15,000 to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering and $30,000 to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

The church gave $40,000 to local associations in 2023, according to SBC Workspace.

“The Lord has used Biltmore Church and Pastor Bruce to make a tremendous impact in Western North Carolina and beyond,” Harrison said.

Frank holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University, a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Luther Rice Seminary.

He and his wife Lori have two grown sons.

‘Coach, friend, mentor and encouragement’

“For the last decade, Bruce has been a coach, friend, mentor, and encouragement to me in my journey as a senior pastor,” Harrison said. “God has uniquely equipped Bruce to connect, encourage and coach pastors. He regularly makes time for me and many other pastors to grow us as Christian men and pastors.”

Frank joins Jared Moore, pastor of Homesteads Baptist Church in Crossville, Tenn.; Clint Pressley, pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Charlotte; Mike Keahbone, pastor of First Baptist in Lawton, Okla.; and David Allen, professor and dean at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, who all have been announced as potential candidates for SBC president.

The 2024 SBC annual meeting is set for June 11-12 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.

ONTARIO, Calif. (BP)—Gateway Seminary’s presidential search committee nominated Adam Groza, vice president for enrollment and student services, as the candidate to serve as the seminary’s next president.

“After a thorough selection process, we are thankful to be able to unanimously present a candidate to the full board,” said J. Robert White, chair of the search committee. “Adam Groza has demonstrated capable and godly leadership during his service at Gateway these past 14 years.”

Groza joined Gateway in 2010 as vice president. He previously worked as director of admissions at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Scarborough College. He has served churches in California and Texas, most recently supporting a number of local churches as interim pastor.

Groza earned his Ph.D. in philosophy of religion from Southwestern Seminary in 2009. He is a research fellow with the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention and a teaching fellow with the Agricola Theological Institute in Finland.  He has taught at California Baptist University, Korea Baptist Theological Seminary and Logos College in Kerala, India.

Gateway’s board will vote on Groza’s presidential nomination at its regularly scheduled meeting April 15-16. Board Chairman Phil Kell appointed White to serve as chair of the presidential search committee during the fall 2023 trustee meeting. Other members are vice chair Kevin Carrothers, Daniel Atkins, Gilroy Chow, Steve Davidson, Rally de Leon, Andrew Dyer, Marsha Gray, Vincent Hayes, Phil Kell, Chuck Morton and Kevin Scott.

The search committee’s six-month selection process included a survey of current Gateway students and face-to-face dialogues between committee members and seminary faculty and staff, and the executive directors of western Baptist state conventions.

The planned transition of Groza to the presidency will take place on May 13 when Gateway’s current president, Jeff Iorg, enters his new role as president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee. Iorg’s final day as president of Gateway is May 12, after the last graduation service of the spring semester.

“Dr. Groza has my confidence as a leader,” Iorg said. “He is spiritually mature, firm in his theological convictions and committed to serving Southern Baptist churches.

“I cannot imagine a more qualified person to lead Gateway, and I am thankful for the opportunity I have had to work alongside him these past 14 years.”

CAP HAITIEN, Haiti(BP)—Four weeks after they became trapped in Port-au-Prince, two staff members of Louisiana Reach Haiti arrived safely at the ministry’s Children’s Village in Cap Haitien.

Darrin Badon, president of Louisiana Reach Haiti, said the women left on a bus from the capital city early March 26 and took the eight-hour bus ride for a long-awaited reunion with the children and staff at the Children’s Village.

They had been living in a relative’s home since March 4, when gang activity forced them to remain inside the house.

Badon expressed gratitude for the many prayers on behalf of the women and the children and other staff of Louisiana Reach Haiti, a partnership between the Louisiana Baptist Convention, Haiti Baptist Convention, Louisiana Baptist churches and the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home & Family Ministries.

“God protected them while they were there with family,” Badon said. “By his grace, we got them out of there today. The kids and staff were elated to see them. Lots of hugs were exchanged and we are so grateful they were brought back.

“I can’t help to think a year ago Antonio was kidnapped, and God released him on Good Friday,” continued Badon, referencing the safe return of Children’s Village Director Antonio Auguste in March 2023 after he was kidnapped by gang members in Port-Au-Prince three weeks earlier. “My prayer was on Good Friday they would be home and spend Good Friday at the church in Cap Haitien.”

Since Feb. 29, gangs in Haiti have burned police stations, attacked the country’s main airport and raided two of the nation’s largest prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates, the Associated Press reported.

Additionally, more than 33,000 Haitians have left Port-au-Prince. And, more than 340 U.S. citizens have been evacuated out of the country since March 17.

Continuing the share Christ’s love

While the violence continues, Badon said, Louisiana Reach Haiti continues to share the love of Christ with the children. He asked for continued prayers as they press forward.

“Thank you for your faithfulness in praying for our children and staff,” Badon said. “Most of all, we thank our Lord and Savior for his grace, mercy and refuge in a time of need. Those ladies and many in Haiti have been in a desperate time of need.

“We are looking to hear from the Lord on how to continue making a difference in Haiti in the lives of our children and staff. And we are eager for other ways to serve.

“Despite all the hardships in Haiti, we know God has a purpose for us. We still are working to be in his will and serve the people of Haiti who face one adversity after another.”

NASHVILLE (BP)—North Carolina pastor J. Allen Murray plans to nominate fellow North Carolina pastor Micheal Pardue to be second vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention at the 2024 SBC annual meeting.

Pardue is the pastor of First Baptist Church Icard in Connelly Springs, N.C.

“I’ve had the privilege of serving beside him in the board room and the mission field overseas and seen his character on display first-hand,” Murray said. “Micheal’s heart for missions both local and abroad inform his life and ministry as he and First Baptist Icard have made a gospel impact around the globe.”

Pardue, 40, has been pastor at First Baptist Church Icard since February 2013. He previously served as pastor of High Shoal Baptist Church in Mooresboro and in other ministry positions in several North Carolina churches.

He served as president of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina from 2020 to 2022. He was the state convention’s first vice president in 2018 to 2020. He led the state pastors’ conference in 2015, serving as the vice president in 2011.

He has served on the North Carolina convention’s board of directors and communications committee. He has been moderator of the Catawba Valley Baptist Association and currently serves on the Fruitland Baptist Bible College board of directors.

“I’ve never seen anyone as dedicated to serving the church through convention ministries as I witnessed him serve as president” of the North Carolina state convention, Murray said. “I believe this executive experience will allow him to serve Southern Baptists well.”

First Baptist Church Icard reported total undesignated receipts of $255,661 in 2023, and gifts of $22,250 (8.7 percent) through the Cooperative Program, $5,570 to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and $1,805 to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. The church reported four baptisms and 100 people in average worship attendance in 2023.

“Micheal is an all-in servant who loves the SBC and wants to see it honor the Lord Jesus and make his name known in every tribe, tongue and nation,” Murray said.

Pardue holds a bachelor’s degree from Gardner-Webb University, a Master of Christian Ministry degree from North Greenville University and an Ed.D. from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

He is an instructor for North Greenville University and Liberty University, according to Murray.

He and his wife Rachel are parents to seven children.

NASHVILLE (BP)—Trustees of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission voted March 21 to re-designate $250,000 toward the SBC Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force.

Trustees approved funds for the task force as it “wraps up its work in response to the mandate given by the messengers.”

Those funds originally were set aside following the 2021 SBC annual meeting when a motion requested the ERLC “hire an outside organization to oversee an audit and assessment of sexual abuse within the SBC.”

When task force leaders reached out to the ERLC in the following years to request a pause in the “audit and assessment,” the ERLC agreed, holding those funds in reserve.

Providing the $250,000 to the task force will help it “with the next phase of implementing what messengers overwhelmingly have requested at multiple SBC annual meetings,” ERLC President Brent Leatherwood told trustees during the meeting, which was held virtually.

Doing so would ensure the ERLC “continue[s] playing the supportive role that we have had with them for the last several years,” he said. “This will not only be consistent with our ministry assignment. It will align with what is called for in the [2021] motion.”

‘Steadfast support for abuse reform’

Task force Chairman Joshua Wester expressed gratitude for the ERLC’s “steadfast support for abuse reform.”

“For many years, the ERLC has stood at the forefront of our convention’s efforts to raise awareness, change the culture and care for survivors of sexual abuse,” Wester said. “This latest act of generosity will only strengthen our ability to advance this work among Southern Baptists.”

A motion at the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting in New Orleans by Maryland pastor Keith Myer asked that the SBC Organization Manual be amended “to ask the ERLC to assist churches and entities in responding to abuse.”

The motion was voted down by ERLC trustees, but Leatherwood made clear it wasn’t over disagreement to its sentiment.

“He is a strong voice for abuse reform and someone who understands the desperate need that we have in our convention to combat abuse,” Leatherwood said of Myer. “Not only did I thank Keith at the time when he made this motion, I wholeheartedly agree with it.”

However, Leatherwood went on to highlight the ERLC’s work through areas such as the Caring Well Initiative, the Church Cares curriculum and Caring Well Sunday.

“We obviously view [response to sexual abuse] as part of our ministry assignment, and we consider it a privilege to do so. Therefore, it doesn’t necessarily require any sort of an amendment,” he said.

Other trustee business

Longtime Baptist Press contributor Tom Strode was presented the Richard D. Land Distinguished Service Award for his career in journalism, primarily through his 32 years as BP’s Washington bureau chief.

Originally hired by Land under the ERLC’s predecessor organization, the Christian Life Commission, Strode continued his work of reporting on political and public policy areas for decades.

Congressman Chris Smith, R-N.J., received the John Leland Religious Liberty Award.

Smith was cited for his more than four decades as a leading advocate for international religious freedom and efforts for raising global awareness over religious persecution.

One of the 19 letters the ERLC issued in 2023 was in support of Smith’s resolution regarding violations of religious freedom in Nigeria and for that nation to be designated a “Country of Particular Concern.”

Adam Greenway, who was forced out as president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in September 2022, filed a personal injury lawsuit against the seminary and the past chair of its trustee board.

The lawsuit, filed March 20 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, asserts the seminary administration and Danny Roberts, then chair of the trustee board, “began a defamatory campaign against Dr. Greenway that included both specific false statements, along with publication of a narrative that created a substantially false and defamatory impression.”

“The defamation of Dr. Greenway has been widely publicized, resulting in severe damage to his reputation and rendering him unemployable in the professional capacity for which he is qualified,” the lawsuit states.

Many of the statements alleging financial mismanagement by Greenway concerned expenditures made to repair and restore the president’s home on the seminary campus. The suit maintains Greenway’s predecessor—Paige Patterson—left the president’s home “in a state of disrepair and unfit for habitation or use.”

Last fall, Greenway’s attorney sent a demand letter threatening a $5 million lawsuit, which was not filed at that time. The current suit says the plaintiff is seeking damages “in excess of $75,000,” but that only establishes the baseline.

The suit calls for a judgment awarding compensation for actual damages, exemplary damages, past and future economic loss, attorneys fees, statutory and civil penalties, and “all other proper relief.”

Seminary responds to lawsuit

In response, Southwestern Seminary issued the following statement: “It is regrettable that Adam Greenway is suing the seminary he has previously claimed to love in response to Southwestern’s refusal to agree to his demand of $5 million last fall.

“It is also disappointing that his lawyer turned down multiple invitations to inspect the evidence supporting the public statements previously made by the seminary.

“We categorically deny the allegations contained in the lawsuit, will defend vigorously the institution, and are confident the outcome will demonstrate that these claims are entirely baseless.”

The lawsuit asserts the defendants were negligent and “acted with actual malice and/or a reckless regard for the truth.” It seeks compensation for defamation of character, asserting the defendants “created a false and defamatory impression” that he secretly “spent seminary funds for his own benefit in a manner akin to embezzlement.”

Expenditures related to president’s home

The lawsuit offers specific allegations regarding the condition of the president’s home when the Pattersons left it after removing “the majority of furnishings and décor.”

“Visible mold could be seen growing on interior walls of the facility,” the lawsuit states.

Later inspections “revealed that mold and mildew existed through the HVAC system, including the ductwork,” and a risk manager for the seminary advised that the HVAC system be replaced “for the safety of occupants and guests,” the suit continues.

The lawsuit notes the president’s home is not simply a single-family residence, but also is “designed, equipped and maintained as a multi-purpose institutional facility, equipped to host institutional functions and gatherings, including meetings, fundraising events and receptions.”

The lawsuit includes an explanation for an expenditure publicly singled out in a report released by the seminary as an example of extravagance—an $11,000 espresso machine.

 “The kitchen is equipped with commercial grade appliances, suitable for hosting gatherings beyond those typical in a single-family dwelling,” the suit states. “As part of the renovations relating to hospitality, the president’s home was equipped with a commercial grade coffee bar at a cost of $11,123.49. The cost included an espresso machine, water filtration system, accessories and installation.”

The kitchen was used by seminary staff for receptions and other functions attended by more than 1,000 people, the suit notes.

All expenditures related to the repairs and restoration of the president’s home were made in accordance with seminary financial guidelines and practices, the suit asserts.

Furthermore, the suit states Greenway cut costs by eliminating 14 full-time staff positions related to the president’s home, which Patterson called “Pecan Manor.” The suit also notes four offices with up to 27 active phone lines existed in the president’s home during Patterson’s tenure.

Internal dissent and political controversy

Nevertheless, the suit asserts the trustee chair and seminary administration used those expenditures in a “behind-the-scenes initiative” to remove Greenway from office.

The suit asserts Colby Adams, then vice president for business administration at the seminary, drew on a $1.6 million line of credit without the president’s knowledge.

Greenway subsequently removed Adams from that post—a decision that triggered dissent within elements of the staff and involvement by board leadership. Instead of being dismissed, Adams was reassigned, against Greenway’s wishes.

The lawsuit also alleges Greenway was forced out because he “voiced opinions relating to political issues that were met with disapproval by influential alumni, members of the Executive Committee of the board of trustees, administration and faculty.”

In particular, the suit notes Greenway’s social media post criticizing a conference. He tweeted: “If America really was/is a Christian nation—as my Twitter feed indicates some are claiming today—then where are the cries to repent and believe instead of just calls to register and go vote? Don’t reduce the Bible to a political prop and Jesus to a candidate consultant, please.”

According to the suit, Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, demanded Greenway remove the tweet.

The lawsuit accuses the seminary administration and trustees of breaching the terms of a settlement agreement regarding Greenway’s resignation, including a “promise of mutual non-disparagement.”

The suit asserts trustees received “only selected and incomplete financial records,” which left a false impression regarding Greenway’s handling of finances.

Response from Greenway’s attorney

When the Baptist Standard contacted Greenway to ask specific questions regarding the lawsuit and its timing, he referred all inquiries to his attorney, Andrew Jones, and he provided the lawyer’s email address.

Jones sent the following statement: “Dr. Adam W. Greenway has dedicated his life to studying and spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What he has been met with at the hands of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary since his departure has not shaken his faith or his resolve.

“To be victimized by one’s own alma mater is a particular form of cruelty, but Dr. Greenway is heartened by the wisdom found in 1 John 3:18—‘Let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.’ We look forward to the litigation process and for the public to finally learn the truth, as described in the lawsuit we filed on Wednesday.”