The search team seeking the next President and CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee has resumed interviews with interim Willie McLaurin, the team’s chairman announced July 17. This comes after public support for McLaurin, following the failed election of another candidate in May.
McLaurin was the EC’s vice president for Great Commission relations and mobilization before becoming interim president and CEO in February 2022, following the resignation of Ronnie Floyd. He was one of the candidates considered by the original search team appointed to fill the President/CEO post, but the team recommended Texas pastor Jared Wellman instead. Wellman’s nomination failed after some EC members expressed concerns about the search process. Wellman was board chair of the Executive Committee until January 26, when he recused himself. The board chair serves as an ex officio member of the search team.
A new search team was elected at that EC meeting in Dallas that was described at the time as a “hot mess” by one of the 81 committee members in attendance.
Neal Hughes, director of missions for the Montgomery (Ala.) Baptist Association, was elected to chair the new panel. Hughes wrote in a statement shared with Baptist media, “Considering the many endorsements from pastors, state convention leaders, and national entity heads, and considering an overwhelming sense in our hearts that we are being obedient to the Holy Spirit, your present search team decided that we should continue where the former search team left off by doing our own due diligence and interviews with Dr. Willie McLaurin, Interim President/CEO of the SBC Executive Committee.”
McLaurin is the first African American to serve as head of a Southern Baptist entity, including interim leaders. Before coming to the EC, he was special assistant to the executive director at the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.
Hughes said that the last six weeks for the search team have been filled with “face-to-face gatherings, Zoom meetings, numerous email discussions and much research.”
McLaurin’s popularity was cited as one reason why the Wellman nomination failed in a 50-31 vote. The first team had publicly said McLaurin was a candidate in early 2023, before they turned their consideration to Wellman.
People familiar with Baptist practices asked whether someone holding an interim office should be considered for the post permanently, or if he should resign before pursuing the job.
Illinois pastor and EC member Adron Robinson chaired the first search team which met and worked for 16 months. Robinson acknowledged the complications of considering an interim officer holder, but he said nothing in EC policies forbids it.
The search team is planning another update in the next six weeks.
–IB Staff with additional reporting from The Baptist Paper