SBC Executive Committee gives go-ahead for investigation but delays decision on waiver of attorney-client privilege for continued negotiations

Alabama trustee Melissa Golden, first-time member of the SBC Executive Committee, brought the three hours of debate on top of more than 12 hours of discussions among top leadership following yesterday’s two to three hours of discussion to a conclusion this afternoon around 5 p.m.

Golden’s substitute motion on the Executive Committee’s next steps regarding action for the Sexual Abuse Task Force was approved without opposition. A full story will be developed later, but the wording of the motion is below:

“Resolved that the SBC Executive Committee authorizes funding the GuidePost Solutions budget of $1.6 million from the source identified in the motion — through funds provided by the Cooperative Program — and requests the Task Force and EC officers to agree on a contract in 7 days without waiving complete attorney-client privilege at this time; and be it further

“Resolved that the SBC Executive Committee continue negotiating legal means of accomplishing the goal of a public internal investigation and submit this agreement to the Executive Committee, Task Force, and GuidePost, by September 28, 2021; and be it finally

“Resolved that, at this point, attorney-client privilege is not yet being waived but is being fleshed out through negotiation.

The approved motion replaces the original motion brought by the officers, which read in part:

“…Resolved that the SBC Executive Committee authorizes payment equal to the budget as requested by the Sex Abuse Task Force subject to the achievement of an acceptable agreement on a way forward taking into account the Motion and the fiduciary obligations and will fund the review in a manner consistent with the source identified in the motion — through funds provided by the Cooperative Program; and … that the officers of the SBC Executive Committee are authorized consistent with the EC bylaws to work on behalf of the full board in order to expeditiously reach a path forward for the important work of the investigation; and … that the SBC Executive Committee humbly appeals to the Sex Abuse Task Force to work in cooperation with us to expeditiously conduct a third-party review and provide the desired answers for Southern Baptists.”