President’s Update – Special Called Meeting
Dear Fellow South Carolina Baptists,
I am pleased to present this letter to you as notice of a called meeting of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, on Monday, March 20, 2023, at 1:30 pm, at Shandon Baptist Church in Columbia.
Messengers to this called convention will be asked to act on the Executive Board’s nomination of Dr. Tony Wolfe to become the next Executive Director-Treasurer of the South Carolina Baptist Convention.
Shortly after last year’s announcement by Dr. Gary Hollingsworth of his intention to retire this spring, and per our governing documents, Dr. Steve Hogg, Chairman of our Executive Board, appointed an EDT Search Team, with Rev. Ian Geimer serving as its chairman.
Our governing documents direct EDT Search Teams to recommend their eventual candidates to the full Executive Board. Should the Board affirm a Team’s recommendation, then the Board is directed, essentially, to nominate the candidate to the messengers of an annual, or a called, convention meeting.
The current EDT Search Team has concluded its search. They presented their candidate, Dr. Wolfe, to the Executive Board in a called meeting this morning. You can learn more about Dr. Wolfe from information published by the Search Team.
Following this morning’s presentation to the Board, remarks from Dr. Wolfe, and a question-and-answer session involving Team members, Board members, and Dr. Wolfe, the Board voted to present him to the convention as their candidate/nominee for Executive Director-Treasurer.
Because it is not feasible to wait eight months until the annual convention meeting in November to act on this matter, a called convention meeting is needed. Convening on March 20th more than satisfies the requirement of at least two weeks from today’s notice.
I encourage all of our pastors and church staff members, as well as lay people, to register as messengers and participate in this very important meeting.
This is an opportunity for South Carolina Baptists from all corners of our state to come together to conduct Kingdom business cooperatively and joyfully while experiencing the rich and unique fellowship which we are privileged to enjoy whenever and wherever we come together.
These are great days in which to serve Jesus together as South Carolina Baptists!
His and yours,
Albert Allen
2023 South Carolina Baptist Convention President
Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church, Newberry
