BOLIVAR, Mo. — The Missouri Baptist Convention’s executive board voted July 14 to adopt the final report of its peace committee and allocate up to $100,000 out of reserves to pursue biblical reconciliation between two conservative groups in the state.
The peace committee was established in April 2008 after disagreements arose between the conservative groups Save Our Convention (SOC) and the Missouri Baptist Laymen’s Association (MBLA).
During their meeting at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo., board members voted to adopt all of the original peace committee report except that a $250,000 cap on expenses for the reconciliation process was lowered to $100,000.
That amendment, proposed by Jim Wells, director of missions for Tri County Baptist Association in Nixa, passed 29–13, meeting a two-thirds majority requirement for the use of convention reserve funds.
The committee report and board action cap two years of infighting between SOC and MBLA over a variety of issues, ranging from disagreements about church planting to the termination of a former state executive director.
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