Baptist and Reflector

ABERDEEN, Miss. — The North American Mission Board has filed an official response to a lawsuit by former Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware executive director Will McRaney, who alleges NAMB wrongly interfered with his separation from the BCMD in 2015, engaged in “slander and/or libel” and attempted to interfere with his speaking engagements.

NAMB’s May 18 filing with a U.S. district court in Aberdeen, Miss., acknowledged notifying the BCMD in late 2014 of its intent to terminate an evangelism and church planting partnership with the convention, alleging the BCMD “became a dysfunctional and difficult ministry partner” during McRaney’s tenure. However, NAMB denied interfering with McRaney’s employment situation or any of his other business dealings and asked for dismissal of the suit. [Read more…]

Baptist Press

Steve Gaines

PHOENIX — Tennessee pastor Steve Gaines will be nominated for a second term as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, his son Grant announced May 17.

Gaines “has led the convention faithfully” over the past year and been “marked by … godly traits,” Grant Gaines, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Jackson, wrote in a statement to Baptist Press announcing his intent to nominate his father at the June 13-14 SBC annual meeting in Phoenix.

Steve Gaines, pastor of Memphis-area Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, has focused his first year in office on calling Southern Baptists to pray and rekindle a passion for personal evangelism. He has championed the Cooperative Program, Southern Baptists’ unified method of funding missions and ministries in North America and internationally. [Read more…]

By David Roach, Baptist Press and
Marilyn Stewart, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Grady Cothen, who died May 19, served as president of the Baptist Sunday School Board from 1974-84.
-SBHLA photo

RIDGELAND, Miss. (BP) — Grady Cothen — the former chief executive of a state convention, a Southern Baptist university and two Southern Baptist Convention entities — died May 19 at The Orchard retirement home in Ridgeland, Miss. He was 96.

Among his service to Southern Baptists, Cothen was executive secretary of the Southern Baptist General Convention of California (1961-66), president of Oklahoma Baptist University (1966-70), president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (1970-74) and president of the Baptist Sunday School Board (1974-1984). The California convention has since been renamed the California Southern Baptist Convention, and the Sunday School Board has become LifeWay Christian Resources.

“Few Southern Baptist leaders have made so deep a mark in so many different places as did Grady Cothen,” New Orleans Seminary President Chuck Kelley said in a news release. “He came to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary when it was in a crisis. He brought stability and a foundation upon which our future was built. We thank God for giving our convention such an excellent leader.” [Read more…]

By Tom Strode
Baptist Press

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee legislature has overwhelmingly approved a ban on post-viability abortions, drawing praise from the president of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board and the head of the Southern Baptist Convention’s ethics entity.

The House of Representatives voted 69-18 in favor of the Tennessee Infants Protection Act May 3, two days after the Senate passed the legislation in a 27-3 vote. Gov. Bill Haslam, who is considered pro-life, signed the bill into law on May 12. [Read more…]