Southern Baptist Reorganization Ok’d

A planned reorganization of the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, was approved by the denomination’s Executive Committee.

The reorganization, aimed at better coordination of the 15 million-member convention’s domestic and international missions, is the result of a two-year study of the SBC. The executive committee recently voted 64-3 in favor of the reorganization plan.

Proposed changes include dissolving the Stewardship Commission and moving its capital fund-raising duties to the Sunday School Board. Once complete, the SBC’s 19 agencies would be consolidated into 12.

Other changes include dissolving the Education Commission and Historical Commission and establishing a council of six seminary presidents to coordinate the denomination’s seminaries.

The existing Home Mission Board would combine with the Radio and Television Commission in Fort Worth, Texas, and the Brotherhood Commission, now based in Memphis, Tenn. The new agency, the North American Mission Board, would be based in Atlanta. It would have responsibility for evangelism in the United States and Canada.