A seven-member search committee has been named to seek a successor for Morris Chapman, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) Executive Committee (EC). They are:
EC chairman Randall James, an assistant pastor of First Baptist Church, Orlando, Fla.; Martha Lawley, the EC’s secretary and a member of First Southern Baptist Church, Worland, Wyo.; Clarence J. Cooper, pastor of Brandon (Miss.) Baptist Church; David O. Dykes, pastor of Green Acres Baptist Church, Tyler, Texas; Doug Melton, pastor of Southern Hills Baptist Church, Oklahoma City; Jay F. Shell, a member of West Baptist Church, Batesville, Ark.; and Danny S. Sinquefield, pastor of Faith Baptist Church, Bartlett, Tenn.
James said during the EC meeting, “I know all of you are familiar with what’s happened the last few months with NAMB (President Geoff Hammond resigned under trustee pressure Aug. 11), IMB (President Jerry Rankin announced his retirement Sept. 16) and now at the Executive Committee. … I think it’s the most important time right now in Southern Baptist life.”
EC member Scott Ferguson, pastor of Westview Baptist Church, Opp, said, “It’s an interesting time in Southern Baptist life. … [Chapman’s] a great leader and has big shoes to fill … but I’m excited by who’s on the search committee. It is a great cross section.
“We are excited and interested to see how the Great Commission Resurgence (Task Force) might impact what recommendations are going to be and what kind of bearing that has on our convention ahead,” he added.
EC member Steve Loggins, director of missions for North Jefferson Baptist Association, agreed with Ferguson’s positive assessment of the search committee.
“I have a lot of confidence in the committee,” Loggins said. “I know several of them personally, and all of them are firmly committed to the Cooperative Program, which is the heartbeat of our convention. And they will find someone who is.” (BP, TAB)
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