SBC Executive Committee receives update from legal team

  |  Source: Baptist Press

The offices of the SBC Executive Committee are in Nashville, Tenn. (BP Photo / Eric Brown)

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NASHVILLE (BP)—During an online Nov. 10 meeting, the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee filled a committee on nominations vacancy and received updates on the progress of the Sexual Abuse Task Force, legal counsel and subcommittee appointments.

Rolland Slade, pastor of Meridian Baptist Church in El Cajon, Calif., is chair of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee. (BP Photo)

“The investigation getting off to a smooth start is important,” Chairman Rolland Slade said about the initial work of Guidepost Solutions as it investigates any possible mishandling of sexual abuse claims by the SBC Executive Committee from Jan. 1, 2000, through June 14, 2021.

Members also were introduced to attorneys from Bradley, the legal firm assisting in document curation and collection related to the independent third-party investigation commissioned by messengers to the 2021 SBC annual meeting in June.

“Scarlett Nokes and Gene Desen from Bradley have been very helpful to our staff,” Slade told Baptist Press. Slade also explained how Bradley is aiding the staff in facilitating the investigation while still allowing for the day-to-day operations of the Executive Committee staff to continue, noting their help has allowed staff to concentrate on daily work.

The Executive Committee approved the addition of Alvaro Cardozo to the committee on nominations. Alvaro, a layperson and member at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Fla., fills an opening created by the resignation of Marta Treumann da Silva.

The committee also was informed of the recent death of one of its members, Bob Neely, a pastoral associate at First Baptist Church in Spartanburg, S.C.

Neely’s death brings the total number of members to 68. There have been 16 members resign from the Executive Committee since the Sept. 20-21 meeting. One member resigned earlier in the year due to relocating to another state.

The recent resignations forced changes in the committee’s subcommittees.

Four replacements appointed by Slade were reported during the call:

  • Hoyt Savage of Nevada as vice chair of the convention finance and stewardship committee.
  • Dwight Easler of South Carolina as secretary of the convention finances and stewardship committee
  • Richard Spring of California as vice chair of the convention missions and ministry committee.
  • Jay McCollum of New Mexico as secretary of the convention missions and ministry committee.

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