SWBTS announces special May 22 trustee meeting

By Baptist Press
May 7, 2018
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FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) — “In light of recent events,” Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s board of trustee chairman has announced the board will hold a special meeting May 22.

The meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m. that day on the seminary’s campus in Fort Worth, Texas, according to a statement released by trustee chairman Kevin Uekert. The release was prepared on Saturday (May 5), Ueckert noted, but it was embargoed until worship services in many Southern Baptist churches had drawn to a close on Sunday evening.

SWBTS President Paige Patterson, 75, became embroiled in controversy this past week after a 2000 audio clip began widely circulating online in which Patterson expressed his views regarding domestic violence and divorce. See related Baptist Press story.

“In light of recent events, Dr. Patterson has requested that I convene our full trustee board to meet in official session,” the statement said. “As part of a trustee’s duty to this institution, and by extension to the Southern Baptist Convention, and by virtue of my authority as Chairman of the Board I am calling a special called meeting of the Board of Trustees, pursuant to the Bylaws.”

See full statement below.

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“The Southern Baptist Convention has entrusted to the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Board of Trustees a responsibility to oversee the mission and direction of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. As chairman of this Board, I know I speak for each of our trustees in saying that we carry out this responsibility with great seriousness.

“Since April 28, 2018, I, and the Executive Committee of the board of trustees, have been in conversation with our president. In light of recent events, Dr. Patterson has requested that I convene our full trustee board to meet in official session. As part of a trustee’s duty to this institution, and by extension to the Southern Baptist Convention, and by virtue of my authority as Chairman of the Board I am calling a special called meeting of the Board of Trustees, pursuant to the Bylaws. This meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m. on May 22, 2018 at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas.”