Press Release Details: EMERGENCY MEETING of Missouri Baptist Convention Executive Board Regarding Southwest Baptist University Misconduct

Last Update: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 (shortly)

Due to various complications, Marie has been unable to present a proposal to the Missouri Baptist Convention Executive Board at their meeting today and will, instead, proceed with a PRESS RELEASE requesting an EMERGENCY MEETING of the Missouri Baptist Convention Executive Board for the purpose of responsibly dealing with the concerns that were brought forth in her letter of June 30.

Over the next few days, this post will provide a continuous updating of the events surrounding the PRESS RELEASE and the EMERGENCY MEETING.

The Questions to be addressed by the individuals named below will be posted (here).

1. Tuesday, July 15 about 2:00 pm:

REBACCA RANDLES and the
SOUTHWEST BAPTIST UNIVERSITY LEGAL STAFF

Marie has contacted the Missouri Bar Association and has been assured that -- if the events are as she and other witnesses describe and as the documentation seems to indicate -- the lawyers involved should most definitely be disbarred.

After some discussion, Marie has agreed to write REBECCA RANDLES, attorney and Southwest Baptist University Trustee, to request that she investigate and provide a preliminary accounting during the upcoming EMERGENCY MEETING (which Marie has requested for August 2008) and a fuller accounting during the yearly October 2008 meeting of the entire Missouri Baptist Convention of the behavior of the Southwest Baptist University legal staff.

2. Tuesday, July 15 (about 3:00 pm):

SOUTHWEST BAPTIST UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION

Marie is requesting that during the upcoming EMERGENCY MEETING (which Marie has requested for September 2008) of the Missouri Baptist Executive Board and during the yearly October 2008 meeting of the entire Missouri Baptist Convention the following individuals provide an accounting of the behavior of the Southwest Baptist University administration, faculty and staff in this matter:

• Current SBU President C. Pat Taylor

• Previous Interim SBU President Wayne Gott (businessman and current SBU Trustee)

• and previous SBU CEO and President Roy Blunt [wiki here] (also former SBU Trustee; now 7th District Missouri Congressman).

3. Tuesday, July 15 (about 3:30 pm):

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF BOLIVAR, MO

Marie is requesting that during the upcoming EMERGENCY MEETING (which Marie has requested for August 2008) of the Missouri Baptist Executive Board and during the yearly October 2008 meeting of the entire Missouri Baptist Convention the following individuals provide an accounting of:

1) the behavior of the Southwest Baptist University administration, faculty and staff (most of whom are or have been members of First Baptist Church of Bolivar) and
2) the behavior of the staff, trustees, deacons and other individuals associated with the Missouri Baptist Convention, First Baptist Church
of Bolivar and other churches in this matter:

• Current Pastor of First Baptist Church of Bolivar Billy Russell (SBU alumnus and newly-nominated SBU Trustee)

• Interim Pastor of First Baptist Church of Bolivar Rodney Reeves (SBU alumnus and Dean of the Redford College of Theology and Ministry at Southwest Baptist University)

• and former Pastor of First Baptist Church of Bolivar Ray Leininger (also SBU adjunct faculty; former SBU Trustee, former member of the Missouri Baptist Convention Executive Board and the Trustee Board of the Word and Way).

4. Thursday, July 17 (later today):

SOUTHWEST BAPTIST UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

5. Thursday, July 17 (later today):

SOUTHWEST BAPTIST UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE

6. Thursday, July 17 (later today):

SOUTHWEST BAPTIST UNIVERSITY MEDICAL STAFF

7. Thursday, July 17 (later today):

SOUTHWEST BAPTIST UNIVERSITY PHYSICAL PLANT PERSONNEL

8. Thursday, July 17 (later this morning)::

SOUTHWEST BAPTIST UNIVERSITY TRUSTEES

The Questions to be addressed by the above individuals will be posted today.

This post will be continuously updated.

_______________________________________________

A CHOICE:
Alternative Histories and Divergent Paths
_______________________________________________

Marie's request to the Missouri Baptist Executive Board for an EMERGENCY MEETING (described here) of the Executive Board -- for the purpose of initiating its investigation -- will be sent (and posted) today.

However, a second letter to the First Baptist Church of Bolivar, who are at the heart of this matter in more ways than anyone can count, will also be sent (and posted).

This second letter will request that the First Baptist Church of Bolivar conduct its own internal investigation, initiated by a Preliminary Agreement to be pledged and witnessed by the FBC-Bolivar Deacon Board on Sunday, August 31, 2008.

This Investigative Committee of the First Baptist Church of Bolivar will report directly to the Missouri Baptist Convention Executive Board at weekly intervals throughout September and October, until the yearly Missouri Baptist Convention meeting at the end of October 2008.

At that time, if the situation is not more fully resolved, the Missouri Baptist Convention Executive Board will be asked to intervene.

More details to follow ...

_______________________________________________

The NEW SISTER BLOG

Missouri Baptist Heart of Integrity Questions
http://heartofintegrity.blogspot.com/
NOW OPEN
in order to allow more convenient access to the entire

MISSOURI BAPTIST HEART OF INTEGRITY
QUESTIONS:
The Role of the Law at a Christian University
~The Government, the Church, and the Law~
( Sections A, B & C)

_______________________________________________