Annual of the 2016 Southern Baptist Convention One Hundred Fifty-Ninth Session One Hundred Seventy-First Year St. Louis, Missouri June 14–15, 2016 FUTURE SBC ANNUAL MEETING SITES Phoenix, Arizona – June 13–14, 2017 Dallas, Texas – June 12–13, 2018 Birmingham, Alabama – June 11–12, 2019 Orlando, Florida – June 9–10, 2020 Nashville, Tennessee – June 15–16, 2021 Anaheim, California – June 14–15, 2022 Charlotte, North Carolina – June 13–14, 2023 Indianapolis, Indiana – June 11–12, 2024 Prepared and distributed by Executive Committee, Southern Baptist Convention Frank S. Page, President and Chief Executive Officer 901 Commerce Street; Nashville, TN 37203 Reviewed by John L. Yeats, Recording Secretary, Southern Baptist Convention Assisted by Sharon Yeats Compiled and formatted by Allison Young, Publications Specialist, Executive Committee Copyright 2016 by the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention. All rights reserved. The contents of this book may not be reproduced in any form in whole or in part without the consent of the copyright holder except for uses which are permitted under federal copyright law. Table of Contents PART 1– LEGAL AUTHORITIES, BUSINESS PROCEDURES, AND STATEMENT OF FAITH Charter, Southern Baptist Convention ............................................................................6 1 PART Constitution ........................................................................................................................6 Bylaws ...............................................................................................................................10 Business and Financial Plan ...........................................................................................23 Organization Manual ......................................................................................................31 Legal Names and Current Addresses of Corporations Related to the SBC ..............42 The Baptist Faith and Message ........................................................................................43 PART 2– PROCEEDINGS, 159th Session, 171st Year 2 PART Proceedings of the Convention .......................................................................................52 Registration of Messengers by Location ......................................................................102 President Ronnie Floyd’s Address ................................................................................104 Ted Traylor’s Convention Message ..............................................................................113 PART 3– MINISTRY REPORTS to the SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION Executive Committee ..........................................................................................................120 PART 3 PART Southern Baptist Foundation ............................................................................................153 General Boards: GuideStone Financial Resources ..................................................................................154 International Mission Board ........................................................................................160 LifeWay Christian Resources .......................................................................................165 North American Mission Board ...................................................................................188 Institutions: 4 PART Seminary Comparative Data ........................................................................................198 Golden Gate Seminary ..................................................................................................202 Midwestern Seminary ...................................................................................................207 New Orleans Seminary ..................................................................................................213 Southeastern Seminary .................................................................................................218 Southern Seminary ........................................................................................................222 Southwestern Seminary ................................................................................................229 5 PART Seminary Extension (supplement to report of seminaries) ......................................233 Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives ...................................................234 Commission: The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission ..........................................................236 Auxiliary Organization: Woman’s Missionary Union .........................................................................................243 PART 6 PART PART 4– FINANCIAL STATEMENTS of ENTITIES RELATED to the SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION ................................................................251 PART 5– ELECTED OFFICERS, DIRECTORS and TRUSTEES, and COMMITTEES Convention Officers ............................................................................................................444 Directors and Trustees of Convention Entities ...............................................................445 Standing Committee ...........................................................................................................462 Committee on Nominations ...............................................................................................462 7 PART PART 6– DIRECTORIES of CORPORATIONS RELATED to the SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION ................................................................465 PART 7– DIRECTORIES of STATE CONVENTIONS ........................................................501 PART 8– HISTORICAL TABLE ..............................................................................................529 INDEX TO PROCEEDINGS, 2016 CONVENTION .............................................................534 PART 8 PART Part 1 PART 1 PART Legal Authorities, Business Procedures, and Statement of Faith Charter page 6 Constitution page 6 Bylaws page 10 Business and Financial Plan page 23 Organization Manual page 31 Legal Names and Addresses page 42 The Baptist Faith and Message page 43 6 2016 Southern Baptist Convention Annual CHARTER An Act To Incorporate ... the Southern Baptist Convention Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Georgia in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, that from and after the passing of this act ... that William B. Johnson, Wilson Lumpkin, James B. Taylor, A. Docrey, R. B. C. Howell and others their associates and successors be and they are hereby Incorporated and made a body politic by the name and style of the Southern Baptist Convention with authority to receive hold possess retain and dispose of property either real or personal to sue and be sued and to make all bye-laws, rules and regulations necessary to the transaction of their business not inconsistent with the laws of this state or of the United States, said corporation being created for the purpose of eliciting combining and directing the energies of the Baptist denomination of Christians for the propagation of the gospel any law usage or custom to the contrary notwithstanding. [Signed:] Charles J. Jenkins Speaker of The House of Representatives Absalom H. Chappell President of the Senate Approved December 27th 1845 Geo. W. Crawford Governor (Act 203, Georgia Archives RG 37-01-15 Enrolled Acts & Resolutions, Georgia Laws - 1845, Vol. 2-9838 Acts 98-228 pp. 428-431.) CONSTITUTION The messengers from missionary societies, churches, and other religious bodies of the Baptist denomination in various parts of the United States met in Augusta, Georgia, May 8, 1845, for the purpose of carrying into effect the benevolent intention of our constituents by organizing a plan for eliciting, combining, and directing the energies of the denomination for the propagation of the gospel and adopted rules and fundamental principles which, as amended from time to time, are as follows: Article I. The Name: The name of this body is the “Southern Baptist Convention.” Article II. Purpose: It is the purpose of the Convention to provide a general organization for Baptists in the United States and its territories for the promotion of Christian missions at home and abroad and any other objects such as Christian education, benevolent enterprises, and social services which it may deem proper and advisable for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God. Article III. Composition: The Convention shall consist of messengers who are members of Baptist churches in cooperation with the Convention. The following subparagraphs describe the Convention’s current standards and method of determining the maximum number of messengers the Convention will recognize from each cooperating church to attend the Convention’s annual meeting. Constitution 7 1. The Convention will only deem a church to be in friendly cooperation with the Convention, and sympathetic with its purposes and work (i.e., a “cooperating” church as that term is used in the Convention’s governing documents) which: (1) Has a faith and practice which closely identifi es with the Convention’s adopted PART 1 PART statement of faith. (By way of example, churches which act to affi rm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior would be deemed not to be in cooperation with the Convention.) (2) Has formally approved its intention to cooperate with the Southern Baptist Convention. (By way of example, the regular fi ling of the