Messengers tonight approved recommendations from the Committee on Order of Business regarding eight motions.
Two motions were approved for consideration for report back to the 2009 annual meeting.
-- A motion by William Sanderson of Hephzibah Baptist Church in Wendell, N.C., asking that Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas., be declared not to be in friendly cooperation with the SBC. (There were no messengers from the church registered in Indianapolis).
-- A motion by Ben Smith of First Baptist Church of Adel, Ga., asking the Executive Committee “study the possibilities and recommend any bylaw changes need[ed] to allow for the week of the convention to also accommodate other events that support the work and mission of Southern Baptist[s].”
Three motions were referred to the Executive Committee:
-- A motion by Benjamin Cole of Emmanuel Baptist Church of Enid, Okla., requesting that the Executive Committee make a standardized form of reporting for the SBC seminaries in the Book of Reports.
-- A motion by Barrett Lampp of Thomasville Road Baptist Church in Tallahassee, Fla., limiting entity trustees to only one term.
-- A motion by Jeff Purvis of First Baptist Church in Pevely, Mo., that SBC bylaws be amended to require that people who serve on boards and commission “agree to abstain from drinking alcoholic beverages and using any other recreational drugs,” agree with the BF&M and be a member of a CP-giving church.
One motion was referred to LifeWay Christian Resources:
-- A motion by Alan Thompson of First Baptist Church Clairemont in San Diego, Calif., asking that the Executive Committee translate the Baptist Faith & Message into the top five languages of the SBC.
Two motions were ruled out of order:
-- A motion by Eric Williams of Long Prairie Baptist Church in Belle Rive, Ill., asking that messengers not allow the HCSB “or any translation that questions the validity of any Scripture passage or verse” to be used in any SBC publication or at the podium of any SBC meeting.
-- A motion by Rodney A. Fry of First Baptist Church in Lead Hill, Ark., asking that all seminary Internet classes charge the same for tuition and fees that on-campus students receive.
