Baptist Briefs

American Baptists reject restructuring. Delegates to the American Baptist Churches USA biennial meeting in Pasadena, Calif., torpedoed a major restructuring backed by denominational officials but criticized by some leaders and churches. They voted 377-217 in favor of the bylaws changes but failed, by a handful of votes, to muster the two-thirds majority required to pass them. The changes would have spun off the denomination’s two mission boards into quasi-autonomous entities, altered the form of representation on ABCUSA’s main governing board and changed the method by which American Baptists approve policy statements and resolutions.

Adventists honor retired BWA chief. Retired Baptist World Alliance General Secretary Denton Lotz has been honored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and affiliated religious-liberty organizations for his contributions to furthering global religious freedom. He received the International Award for Religious Liberty, co-sponsored by the Adventists in conjunction with their religious-freedom publication, Liberty magazine, and the International Religious Liberty Association.

President of Asian seminary dies. Lilian Lim, president since 2005 of the Asia Baptist Graduate Theological Seminary, a consortium of nine schools, died June 25 in Singapore. She suffered from Marfan’s syndrome, a congenital disorder she battled throughout her life. Lim, 50, was the sixth president and first woman to lead the 50-year-old seminary consortium. Before becoming president, Lim served as the chair of the board. She also served previously as dean of the Baptist Theological Seminary in Singapore. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Coordinating Council dedicated $2,500 to the Asia Baptist Graduate Theological Seminary scholarship fund in Lim’s memory.

Chair seeks prayer for task force. The chairman of a task force charged with helping Southern Baptists fulfill their Great Commission mandate has asked for 5,000 volunteers who will pray regularly on behalf of the committee. Ronnie Floyd, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Springdale, Ark., and The Church at Pinnacle Hills in Rogers, Ark., will chair the task force, appointed by Southern Baptist Convention President Johnny Hunt. Messengers to the SBC annual meeting in Louisville, Ky., overwhelmingly adopted a motion to authorize creation of the task force.

SBC Executive Committee VP steps down. Clark Logan, Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee vice president for business and finance, resigned abruptly, after less than two years on the job and two weeks after this year's meeting in Louisville, Ky. Morris Chapman, Executive Committee president and CEO, confirmed that Logan resigned July 1 but would not comment. The Florida Baptist Witness reported that Logan, 42, released a statement declining to comment on the reasons for his resignation other than to clarify that he was not accused of, or involved in, anything immoral or unethical. Logan said he was asked July 1 to submit his resignation by the end of the day and that he complied.