Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Anaheim came to do business and even lined up at microphones before the opening session began at 8 a.m.
The first opportunity to present motions came at 10:10 a.m. PDT and 23 were presented before time ran out.
Among the motions presented, several dealt with transparency concerns related to the Executive Committee, North American Mission Board and Southeastern Seminary. Another called for abolishing the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, and one called for a study related to how best to structure Baptist Press as the convention’s news service. A request for publicizing the salary structures of all leaders of SBC entities and groups was proposed and suggests following patterns similar to public institutions.
Motions for studies
Motions also called for studying the proper role of messengers in relation to the responsibility of boards of trustees and for Southern Seminary to study a request to remove the name of anyone listed on buildings, academic programs, scholarships, etc., associated with the seminary who participated in slavery.
Other topics included women pastors, Israel, providing a way to participate as a messenger if not onsite, boycotting Disney corporation and suspending the tradition of resolutions in the SBC “as a means of promoting unity.”
Also proposed were motions calling for studying the effect waiving attorney-client privilege by the EC during the sexual abuse investigation has had on the SBC and for Lifeway to produce and provide materials to give positive biblical teaching on the covenant sign of rainbow.
Ruled out of order
Of the 23 motions, only one was ruled out of order because of timing. It asked for a resolution to be reported out of committee but that request can only come after the Resolutions Committee report, so it was suggested the messenger reintroduce his motion at that time if time allows.
For more stories from the 2022 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, visit thebaptistpaper.org/sbc2022.
