SBC Executive Committee lays off staff amid leadership shakeup and increased spending

The administrative agency for the Southern Baptist Convention is laying off staff, despite consistent and even increased giving from churches to the denomination.

The unexpected and rare news about the SBC Executive Committee points to an even rockier financial picture and follows ongoing leadership upheaval within the organization.

The SBC Executive Committee announced the news Wednesday afternoon in a news release.

"Our financial realities have led to an organizational restructuring and the reduction of staff and operational expenses," Jonathan Howe, SBC Executive Committee interim president and CEO, said in a statement. "This morning EC leadership met with staff to announce the elimination of five full-time staff positions and two contractor positions."

The SBC Executive Committee manages business for the nation's largest Protestant denomination outside the two-day SBC annual meeting. It’s comprised of about 30 staff and an 86-member board of elected representatives.

Executive committee members are scheduled to gather in Nashville next week, where the committee was already planning to deal with a staff-related controversy. News of the layoffs will only add to the stressful nature of the meeting business.

Last month, executive committee interim president and CEO Willie McLaurin resigned over revelations that he falsified academic credentials. Executive committee members discovered McLaurin’s falsified credentials when it was considering him for the permanent top job.

Executive committee members give direction to the committee’s staff, who work full-time from the committee’s headquarters in Nashville. At next week’s meeting, the executive committee is expected to discuss the findings from a more comprehensive investigation into McLaurin’s background.

McLaurin stepped in as interim president and CEO, the highest-ranking staff position within the organization, following the resignation of former president and CEO Ronnie Floyd. Another couple executives, including the chief financial officer, resigned around the same time.

Since then, the executive committee has switched from one interim CFO to another. Meanwhile, the committee has dealt with a series of crises while it continued spending more.

Executive committee expenditures increased by 82% while its income decreased by 12% in a five-year window between the 2017-18 to 2021-22 fiscal years, according to an analysis of SBC financial records.

"We are thankful for the service those affected have given to Southern Baptists and the SBC Executive Committee," Howe said in Wednesday's statement. "The continuing staff are fully committed to accomplishing the messenger-approved ministry assignments given to the EC."

Also, the SBC Executive Committee has been at the forefront of fallout over a clergy sexual abuse crisis. At the behest of Southern Baptist voting delegates, called messengers, the executive committee commissioned a third-party investigation into the committee’s past handling of sexual abuse.

Since then, the executive committee has been at the center of the denomination’s response to the third-party investigation. That’s included a tip line for victims of sexual abuse to call, and legal expenses for lawsuits and a Department of Justice investigation.

In February, the executive committee announced a drop in reserves to cover legal expenses related to the abuse crisis. Opponents of abuse reform pointed to the diminished finances to reinforce arguments against comprehensive abuse reform, even though most messengers disagree.

Liam Adams covers religion for The Tennessean. Reach him at ladams@tennessean.com or on Twitter @liamsadams.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: SBC Executive Committee lays off staff following spike in expenses