The Birmingham Baptist Association (BBA) officially supported the recent move by Baptist Health System (BHS) trustees to cancel all considerations of a sale, merger or partnership.
During its July 14 meeting, the BBA executive board passed a resolution supporting BHS’s July 12 decision to remain locally owned and reaffirming its mission to be a faith-based Christ-centered ministry.
Financial concerns about maintaining the hospitals led to talks in June with Triad Health Systems of Texas about a possible sale, as well as other options.
However, doctors, trustees and others expressed concerns over the proposed sale or merger. Dr. Michael Drummond, newly-named chairman of the BHS board, said the board looked again at the money involved and felt BHS was financially healthy enough to stand on its own.
During the July 12 meeting of the BHS board, then-CEO Dennis Hall was dismissed and then-chairman of the board Bobby Keith resigned — along with four other board members.
Prayerful decision
Drummond, who spoke at the BBA meeting, said much prayer and faith had gone into the board of trustees’ decision.
“This (decision) comes on the wings of months and months of prayer and fasting by ourselves, families, friends and employees,” Drummond said. “I am confident as a follower of Christ who has submitted to His will that God’s will has been done.”
Ricky Creech, director of missions for BBA, said, “I think we as the executive board should affirm and support the (BHS) trustees. The trustees are taking a direction never taken before. They need … support.”
During the BBA meeting, the executive board also agreed to consider nominees for the five vacant trustee positions on the BHS board at the July 28 meeting.
Although the BBA does not have direct control over BHS, it is responsible for appointing new trustees, based on recommendations from the executive committee. Two members of the BBA executive committee also sit on the BHS board of trustees, but have no voting power. Currently, these are Creech and executive committee moderator Dan Nichols, pastor of Walkers Chapel Baptist Church, Fultondale.
Creech said if the executive board approves the committee’s nominations, those trustees would immediately assume their positions on the board.
While not all five positions may be filled at this time, Creech said the executive committee was looking for two to three businessmen to fill the remaining spots. He also noted that the one pastoral position vacant would have to be filled immediately, due to BHS board of trustees bylaws.
Members of a BHS governance task force requested by Drummond will also be announced as a point of information during the July 28 meeting, Creech noted.
Drummond asked that a task force work with BHS trustees to review governance issues relating to the BHS board — the number of members on BHS’s board as well as the makeup of the board (doctors, pastors and other professionals).
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