BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—By overwhelming votes, Southern Baptists strengthened their stances against sexual abuse and racism during the opening day of their June 11-12 SBC annual meeting in Birmingham, Ala.

Ronnie Floyd, president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, told messengers after their votes, “I believe this is a very significant moment in the history of the Southern Baptist Convention. And I believe that every one of us needs to thank God for this moment.”

Messengers cast their votes—raising booklets that contained their printed ballots—for amendments to the SBC constitution to specifically state that sexual abuse and discrimination based on ethnicity are grounds for a church to be deemed as “not in friendly cooperation” with the convention.

Messengers likewise voted to amend the SBC’s bylaws to repurpose the SBC’s Credentials Committee into a standing committee to make inquiries and recommendations for action regarding instances of sexual abuse, racism or other issues that call a church’s relationship with the SBC into question.

“May this world know that the Southern Baptist Convention stands against all forms of sexual abuse,” Floyd said. “May this world know that this convention of churches—47,000 churches, plus a few thousand congregations, just under 52,000 churches and congregations—has given a clear signal not only about what we believe about sexual abuse, but we also stand against all ethnic discrimination in the United States and around the world.”

Repurposing the Credentials Committee, which formerly dealt with the messenger registration process, “is an incredible move for the future of this convention,” Floyd said. “While we may not understand it all and how it’s all going to work, we have done our very best to present to you a process.”

The constitutional amendments will require a second two-thirds messenger vote at next year’s SBC annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. The repurposing of the Credentials Commission required only a two-thirds vote this year as an amendment to the convention’s bylaws.

The Credentials Committee will consist of nine members: the chairman of the Executive Committee; the SBC registration secretary; three members nominated by the Executive Committee; and four members nominated by the SBC Committee on Nominations.

The changes to the bylaws included the creation of a Registration Committee to handle the duties of the former Credentials Committee.

Floyd acknowledged to messengers that the bylaws can be changed as may be needed for optimal functioning of the Credentials Committee.

“If it’s not working the right way in our minds, we can always change it,” he said. “But thank God we have today, once again, sent a clear signal, a concrete statement, that it’s not only about what we say, but it’s about what we do” in calling Southern Baptist churches to be “faithful to the things of God and to the ways we treat one another.”

“And to God be the glory for what He has done this day,” Floyd said.

Recommendations for the constitutional amendments and repurposed Credentials Committee were placed before messengers by the Executive Committee, which approved the proposals during their June 10 session preceding the annual meeting.

Messenger deliberation over the constitutional amendment on sexual abuse spanned nearly 20 minutes; there was no discussion of the racism amendment or the Credentials Committee.

An amendment to the sex abuse wording was proposed by Ryan Hutchinson, a messenger from Open Door Baptist Church in Raleigh, N.C., who proposed replacing “Does not act in a manner inconsistent with the Convention’s beliefs regarding sexual abuse” with “Does not condone or dismiss or leave unaddressed sexual abuse within their church.”

Hutchison voiced concern for greater clarity for the constitutional amendment, stating that the only official statement of the convention’s beliefs regarding abuse is a brief mention in Article 15 of the SBC’s Baptist Faith and Message 2000 statement of beliefs.

EC chairman Mike Stone spoke in opposition to the amendment, citing the many hours the Executive Committee had spent on crafting the wording. The proposed amendment did not “afford the proposed clarity” the messenger sought, Stone, a Georgia pastor, said. In addition to the Baptist Faith and Message, he said the convention’s beliefs on sexual abuse also are lodged in the Word of God, which the convention believes is “inspired, inerrant, authoritative and completely sufficient.”

Hutchison’s amendment failed to draw a majority of messengers’ raised ballots.

Other business

Messengers approved:

— an addition to the Southern Baptist Convention Organization Manual regarding trustee training, stating, “Entity administrators should reinforce with their trustees the principle that entity trustees are to represent the interests of the entire Convention as well as those of the entity.” The action stemmed from a messenger’s motion at the 2018 SBC annual meeting in Dallas.

— approved a 2019-2020 Cooperative Program Allocation Budget of $196,500,000, up from the SBC’s current $194,000,000 budget. The budget maintains current allocations to the convention’s ministries, including 50.41 percent of receipts to the IMB and 22.79 percent to NAMB. The convention’s six seminaries and the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives will receive 22.16 percent; the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, 1.65 percent; and the SBC Operating Budget, encompassing the work of the Executive Committee and SBC annual meeting costs, 2.99 percent.

— approved a 2019-2020 Executive Committee and SBC Operating Budget of $5,874,350.

— approved resolutions of appreciation for two SBC entity presidents, Chuck Kelley of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, who retires July 31, and Thom Rainer of LifeWay Christian Resources, who retired on Feb. 28.

WEBBERS FALLS and BLACKWELL, Okla.  In flooded Webbers Falls, Okla., the news that the Southern Baptists were coming to help came as no surprise to one resident.

As rising floodwaters from the nearby Arkansas River threatened their home, Hal and Sue Myers, both in their 80s, were evacuated with their fellow townspeople from Webbers Falls, population 610. Mrs. Myers grabbed clothing for a few days, personal items, medicine and her Bible, her daughters, Tulsa residents Dawn Hart and Susie Rose, told the TEXAN.

Mr. and Mrs. Myers got the call to evacuate within 13 hours at 10 pm, May 21. Their daughters drove over to help.

“We didn’t actually load up enough stuff,” Rose said. “Mom didn’t think they’d be more than two or three days out of their house.”

“They just didn’t fathom what would happen,” Hart said, adding that her mother, a devout Baptist, insisted, “If anyone would be able to help the town of Webbers Falls, it would be the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief.”

The family grew up Southern Baptist, Rose said.

“Mom couldn’t believe it when she heard you all were coming to town,” Hart added.

Of the town’s 190 homes, 174 suffered flood damage. Residents were allowed to return June 2. Hal and Sue found their 2200-square-foot residence, an apartment plus shop area inside a converted hotel, filled with sludge.

It had seemed the perfect place to retire: a brick building located blocks from the Arkansas River. “Dad could tinker and have all his toys and treasures [there],” Hart said.

The Myerses knew the town had flooded before, but not since 1942, Rose and Hart said. Like most of the other residents of Webbers Falls, they had no flood insurance and were shocked when floodwater swept in, not only from the river but also from run-off from nearby submerged fields that remained swamped days later.

A Southern Baptists of Texas Disaster Relief mud-out crew cleared the Myers home of debris and ruined belongings, stripped walls of soggy sheetrock, and sprayed the premises with anti-mold treatment.

SBTC DR crews even “kicked out” the Myerses who were “overdoing it,” Hart and Rose said, chuckling and explaining that volunteers urged the couple to get some much-needed rest.

“These are great people with a can-do attitude,” Terry James, SBTC incident leader, said of local residents. James also praised the pastor and people of nearby First Baptist Warner for hosting 24 SBTC DR volunteers, including feeding, shower and laundry and administrative teams in addition to mud-out crews. A dozen newly-trained Oklahoma DR volunteers joined the SBTC crews.

James said the Oklahomans planned to work alongside SBTC DR crews to learn how the Texas teams operate.

“We are not even a week into this and we feel like we are pros now,” newly-minted Oklahoma DR volunteer Sydney Kilgore told the TEXAN.

“They are good teachers. We are partial to Texas now,” Shannon Kennedy, a second new volunteer added, laughing.

More rainfall, and, ironically, the lack of water complicated recovery efforts in Webbers Falls; service had not been restored as of June 7, James said. The situation prompted SBTC DR logistics volunteer Linda Mitter to improvise when the local fire department offered to help.

Mitter purchased couplings to attach SBTC DR equipment to the water supply in the firetruck so DR crews could power wash houses.

James praised local government, police and fire officials.

SBTC DR crews moved to Webbers Falls from Blackwell, Okla., June 2 in response to a request from Oklahoma DR Director Don Williams.

“We had finished everything we could do at Blackwell. We were at a natural stopping point,” SBTC DR Director Scottie Stice said.

Mike Jansen, SBTC DR incident leader at Blackwell, commended that town’s Immanuel Baptist Church and pastor Matt Smith, an OKDR volunteer himself.

“The church had fed 600 people the weekend before we arrived Tuesday, May 28,” Jansen said. “When we arrived, many parts of east and north Blackwell were still impassable because of high water. The church had already collected a list of people who needed assistance.”

Of 54 Blackwell work orders, SBTC DR crews completed 40, many involving flooded basements and sealed crawlspaces under houses. They assisted all victims whom they were able to contact, Jansen said.

“Everyone just worked hand-in-hand. We shared the gospel with everyone we possibly could: making 44 total spiritual contacts. Many of the people said they were going to check out Immanuel Baptist because they saw them active in this,” Jansen added

“We are glad to be in Oklahoma to serve to help Oklahomans and Oklahoma DR,” Stice said, confirming that SBTC DR crews are expected to be in Oklahoma 2-4 weeks more, as part of a nationally-coordinated Southern Baptist effort to help May flood victims across the Midwest and South.

EL PASO and DEL RIO   When James and Dana Greer accompanied Southern Baptists of Texas Disaster Relief volunteers to Del Rio along the Texas/Mexico border to support Salvation Army feeding operations responding to the migrant crisis, their experience as former missionaries to Tanzania helped them break language barriers.

Greer used language apps on his cell phone to facilitate communication. With the assistance of a local Spanish-speaking pastor, they held an impromptu church service attended by around 50 migrants, some of whom were believers and some of whom seemed unfamiliar with the songs and message.

The Sunday services continued in succeeding weeks. DR volunteer Jerry Lawrence, 81, of Jasper found the people receptive, warm and full of faith.

“I really didn’t know what to expect,” Lawrence said, explaining that the migrants he met were in family units, often with two parents. “They joined in services. All had Bibles. They were eager to participate and to learn English.” Lawrence enjoyed interacting with the children.

Greer, Top o’ Texas Baptist Association director of missions, told the TEXAN he was not surprised to receive some criticism for joining other SBTC volunteers in providing shower and laundry support at the border. He stressed that the migrants served had entered the country legally and had destinations and sponsors in the states.

 “Our job has not changed over the calling that comes from the Gospels, and that is to share the gospel clearly and precisely. I would rather stand before my Father with the certainty that I was doing what I was led to do than to stand before him knowing that I had not when I could have,” Greer said.

Migrants had passed through security, been vetted by the border patrol and undergone medical screening before arriving at the temporary shelter, Lawrence said.

Since SBTC DR answered the Salvation Army’s request for help in mid-May, small crews have rotated in and out to man the shower/laundry unit. The SBTC’s DR bunkhouse is also on site, housing Salvation Army and SBTC volunteers.

The Del Rio mission and a similar deployment to El Paso, where small teams of SBTC DR feeding volunteers are assisting Salvation Army efforts to feed migrants detained in a local shelter, mark a “renewed partnership with the Salvation Army,” said Scottie Stice, SBTC DR director.

Since May 5, DR volunteers have helped prepare and serve from 600 to 1,400 meals per day in El Paso, DR task force member Dewey Watson confirmed.

The El Paso deployment is expected to continue through the end of June while volunteers will remain in Del Rio till June 16.

It was a grueling 543.7-mile endurance race from Sydney to Melbourne, Australia—the world’s longest and toughest ultra-marathon. In 1983, 150 world-class runners converged on Sydney for the event.

On the day of the race, a toothless 61-year-old potato farmer and sheepherder named Cliff Young approached the registration table wearing overalls and galoshes over his work boots. At first, people thought he was there to watch the race, but to their surprise, Cliff Young declared his intention to run and requested a number.

Cliff Young had grown up on a farm without the benefit of luxuries like horses and four-wheel-drive vehicles. When the storms rolled in, Cliff headed out to round up 2,000 sheep over a 2,000-acre farm. Sometimes he had to run them two or three days to complete the round up.

The incredulous staff issued Cliff #64. As he mingled with the other runners at the starting line, spectators couldn’t believe their eyes. “This must be a joke!” some mused.

When the gun went off, bystanders snickered at Cliff, left behind in his galoshes and overalls as the other runners with their sculpted bodies and running gear briskly began the race. Snickers gave way to laughter when Cliff began to run, not like the other runners, but with what could only be described as a leisurely, odd shuffle.

All of Australia was riveted to the live telecast as they watched the scene unfold. “Someone should stop that crazy old man before he kills himself!”

Five days, 15 hours and 4 minutes later, Cliff Young came shuffling across the finish line in Melbourne, winning the ultra-marathon! He didn’t win by a few seconds or even a few minutes. The nearest runner was 9 hours and 56 minutes behind.

Australians were stunned at this remarkable yet seemingly impossible victory. How did it happen?

Everyone knew that the only way to win the ultra-marathon was to run for 18 hours, then stop and sleep for six hours. This routine was repeated for five punishing days. But no one told Cliff Young. He just shuffled along, day and night, night and day, without stopping to sleep. Cliff broke the previous race record by nine hours and became a national hero overnight.

Interestingly, professional runners began to study and experiment with the odd shuffle that Cliff used in his running. Many long distance runners have since adopted what has come to be called the “Young shuffle” due to its aerodynamic and energy efficiency.

Likewise, victory in the Christian life comes through endurance. The Christian life is not a 100-yard dash. It is a marathon. In the short distance race, speed is important. In the long distance race, endurance is what leads to success.

As Hebrews 12:1 says, “Let us run with endurance the race set before us.” Each of us must run the race in our own special way using the gifts and talents God has given us. Against all odds, we run the race.

“For the joy before him” Jesus endured, we read in Hebrews 12:2. You and I are his joy!

As Scripture tells us in Hebrews 12:3: “Consider him, who endured such hostility of sinners against himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

When we run the Christian ultra-marathon with endurance, keeping our focus on Jesus, we can be assured of finishing strong and hearing those cherished words: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  

David Allen is the dean of the School of Preaching at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.