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Christianity Today, July (Web-only), 2009 |

A Private Matter

Forced resignation of Southern Baptist leader prompts calls for transparency.

Trevin Wax | posted 7/13/2009 02:24PM

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Now many Southern Baptists are calling for the same type of transparency from those in other positions of leadership. The controversy surrounding Logan's departure from the Executive Committee has fueled many concerns, but so far has elicited little response.

Trevin Wax is associate pastor of First Baptist Church in Shelbyville, Tennessee, and author of Holy Subversion: Allegiance to Christ in an Age of Rivals (Crossway, 2010).

Related Elsewhere:

Other recent stories on Southern Baptists include:

Revolution Redux | Southern Baptists debate relationship between evangelism and identity. (June 29, 2009)

TULIP Blooming | Southern Baptist seminaries re-introduce Calvinism to a wary denomination. (January 17, 2008)

Southern Baptists Elect President, Dismiss Abuse Database | Johnny Hunt says he'll be challenging spirit of lethargy. (June 11, 2008)

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July (Web-only) 2009, Vol. 53

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Kathy

Posted: July 21, 2009 8:15 PM

There can be two sides to a story like this. Sometimes the reasons for ending a relationship are too nuanced for the broader group to understand. One example from personal experience: an employee of a religious organization whose unwise financial decision had lost him the trust of the leadership--but without clear evidence of wrongdoing. He had to go, but to make the situation public would have unfairly burdened his opportunities for employment elsewhere and too easily could have led to needless division within the membership. Leaders can be unfair, so they need to be held accountable--but there are usually organizational or denominational procedures for that. All too often, IME the group wants to know all the details because of a general attitude of distrust or, let's face it, a desire to gossip.

David MacEachern

Posted: July 16, 2009 10:54 AM


If in fact no illegal, immoral activity had taken place, Chapman's got a problem on his hands. What I believe we're witnessing at the top level of our convention is this..some folks "gravy train" is grinding to a halt!

Gene Scarborough

Posted: July 15, 2009 8:05 PM


"And the beat goes on...." Sounds like the same clandestine response to many clandestine situations where moderate leaders were fired with no real explaination... maybe his kiss to the posterior of the leader was not sincere enough--ya think???

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