Illinois Baptist
Developing women’s ministry I ask these questions first
Carmen Halsey P. 13
Our ‘biter’ year
in focus
mission
It’s Annie season P. 11 NATE ADAMS
Fresh opportunity For a familiar passion P. 2
In a recovery season, Illinois churches aimed for new targets. Pages 7-9
NEWS
Rooftop campout Pastor aims for finish line P. 4
THRIVE
Stories from churches On health, growth, mission
PLUS: Baptism reports and ministry insight for a new era
IllinoisBaptist.org
Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Peoria, Illinois Permit No. 325
News journal of the Illinois Baptist State Association
IB
MARCH 1, 2022 Vol. 116 No. 3
P. 10
sbc executive committee
McLaurin plans ‘reset’ as interim CEO Illinois’ Robinson elected to search team Nashville, Tenn. | William “Willie” McLaurin became the first African American to lead a Southern Baptist Convention entity when he was named SBC Executive Committee interim president/CEO effective Feb. 1. His appointment, although temporary, is being greeted positively by Illinois’ representatives on the 86-seat committee that guides SBC operations. It was also hailed by eight ethnic fellowships representing 12,000 SBC congregations. “In this season, the Lord is allowing us to hit the reset button,” McLaurin told Baptist editors meeting in Florida in February. “He’s allowing us to really just say, ‘What is it that we’re really trying to do?’” McLaurin’s selection by the EC officers was affirmed by the full board during their meeting Feb 21-22. The EC, operating with 68 members since 18 resignations in the fall, also approved a slate of actions in that meeting: elected a search committee with Illinois representative Adron Robinson repeating in the role, added collegiate ministry to the ministry assignments of the North American Mission Mission Board, issued an apology to a woman who alleged sexual abuse, approved an increase from $2.1 million to $4 million to cover the cost of a third-party investiga-
tion in the EC’s handling of abuse allegations in the denomination. (More information on these actions is on p. 3.) McLaurin, who has served as vice president for Great Commission relations and mobilization for the EC since January 2020, fills the position left vacant by Ronnie Floyd, who resigned in October 2021. Floyd’s announcement came a few months following the SBC’s annual meeting in Nashville, when messengers approved a Sexual Abuse Task Force P. 3