SBC INTER-AGENCY COUNCIL NAMES RACIAL RECONCILIATION TASK FORCE

by   Bill Merrell                                                                                                                                                 Vol. IX, No. 3, March 1996

Voicing "agreement in spirit and in substance" with the resolution on racial reconciliation approved at the 1995 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, the SBC Inter-Agency Council has named a task force "charged to work toward strategy and implementation of full racial and ethnic reconciliation" in keeping with the resolution.

The SBC resolution from the Atlanta SBC sesquicentennial called for Southern Baptists to "commit ourselves to eradicate racism in all its forms from Southern Baptist life and ministry."

The IAC, composed of chief executive officers of all SBC entities, unanimously approved a resolution during its Feb. 18 meeting in Nashville, Tenn., to commit the IAC "to work as an agent for racial reconciliation in the Southern Baptist Convention, and in our agencies and institutions."

The IAC resolution calls racial reconciliation a "priority issue for our own study and strategic planning." The task force is to consist of one representative from each agency who will serve from 1996-2001. Richard D. Land, president of the Christian Life Commission, was named its chairman. Land will release the names of task force representatives as soon as the appointments are made by respective agency heads.

The task force is required to report to each of the IAC meetings. R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and vice chairman of the IAC, noted, "The reporting requirement clearly indicates the high profile and priority the IAC gives to the racial reconciliation task force."

Paige Patterson, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and newly elected IAC chairman, explained the background of the decision to name the task force, saying, "As the IAC reflected on the resolution made last year on racial reconciliation and as we listened to the thoughts and the counsel of a number of our fellow Southern Baptists of African American ethnic background, we decided that it was essential that we take a direct leadership role in putting actual feet to the resolution. We felt the way in which we could most profoundly influence the implementation of racial reconciliation in our convention was the naming a task force with Dr. Land to head it and with regular reports to be made to us."

The resolution commits IAC members "to strive for representation on our boards of trustees, our staff and faculties, and all other bodies, based on biblical qualifications and embracing the ethnic diversity of the Southern Baptist Convention and its churches."

It also called on the SBC Committee on Nominations to "set a priority to nominate persons representative of all ethnic groups to our boards of trustees." The resolution places this priority within the larger context of nominating "persons who will be careful stewards and trustees of our institutions, and who will stand with Southern Baptists in Great Commission commitment, theological integrity, institutional accountability, and Cooperative Program support."

Direct IAC involvement in this matter is somewhat unusual. Mohler stated the "IAC assumed direct responsibility for this matter (and did not refer it elsewhere). In so doing, the Inter-Agency Council spoke clearly its own commitment to take action and accept responsibility. This action is historic and substantial and will involve our agencies individually and in concert."