To the Executive Committee,

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We, the undersigned, write as pastors whose churches are affiliated with the Baptist Convention of Maryland & Delaware, who joyfully provide support to the work of the Southern Baptist Convention through the Cooperative Program. We regularly and enthusiastically encourage our people to give generously to support our seminaries, church planting efforts, international missionaries, disaster relief, and policy advocacy for religious freedom and life. We take this stewardship very seriously and believe it is an essential part of how the Lord Jesus expects His church to work.

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We write to inform you that we stand resolutely with the Sexual Abuse Task Force appointed by President Ed Litton, with the overwhelming majority of the more than 15,000 messengers at this year’s Convention in Nashville, and most importantly, with sexual abuse survivors whose voices have for too long been ignored and marginalized.

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The motion in Nashville was abundantly clear.  It requested that the Executive Committee agree to the terms negotiated by the Sexual Abuse Task Force and the third-party investigator.  The messengers in approving this motion expected that the Executive Committee would not be involved in these negotiations as the entity under investigation, but instead would, in accordance with the will of the messengers, agree to the terms set by the Task Force, including the waiving of attorney-client privilege.  

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We are grieved that more than 100 days have passed since the Convention without any serious effort of the President and Chief Executive Officer to lead the Trustees to act swiftly and in accordance with the will of the messengers. We are gravely disappointed at the recent actions of many Executive Committee trustees, who have refused to comply with the messenger's mandate. We are disappointed in the excessive use of legal counsel to shield open and transparent discussions from scrutiny, while subjecting our associated churches to ridicule and our survivor community to additional injury.

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Therefore, we are informing you that should the Executive Committee Trustees continue to refuse what the messengers have requested, we will lead our churches to reallocate funds away from the Executive Committee, and find alternate ways to fund our cooperative efforts in missions and theological education.

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Our joint efforts in these areas are what make Southern Baptists who we are.  The Executive Committee, rather than fulfilling its role in expediting these efforts, has become a barrier to achieving them.  Therefore, we make this final request of you to submit to the will of those you serve.  

We pray your response will be in keeping with our expectations.

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Respectfully,  

Joel Rainey
Lead Pastor, Covenant Church, Shepherdstown WV

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Keith Myer
Pastor, Harvest Baptist Church, Salisbury MD

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Jeremy Todd
Lead Pastor, Harvest Pointe Community Church, Charles Town, WV

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Phil Graves
Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church of Brunswick, MD

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Tally Wilgis

Pastor, Paradise Community Church, Baltimore, MD

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Chris Snider
Pastor, Catonsville Baptist Church, Catonsville, MD

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Tim Byer

Pastor, Faith Baptist Church, Glen Burnie, MD

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Joe Engel
Emmitsburg Community Baptist Church, Emmitsburg, MD

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Jim Edmonson
Pastor, Elders Baptist Church, Sykesville, MD

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Larry Davis
Pastor, Grace Baptist Church, Seaford, DE

Charles Brown

Pastor, East Baltimore Graffiti Church, Baltimore, MD

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Jay Beard

Lead Pastor, First Baptist Church, Thurmont, MD

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Brad Diehl

Berlin First Baptist Church, Berlin, MD
 

Jonathan Pearson

Pastor, Harvest Pointe Community Church, Charles Town, WV

Jeryl Bier
Elder, Harvest Baptist Church, Salisbury, MD

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Chul Yoo
Pastor, Christ Community Church, Ashton, MD

Adam Muhtaseb
Pastor, Redemption City Church, Baltimore, MD

 

Brad O'Brien

Pastor, Jesus Our Redeemer Church, Baltimore, MD

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Kyle Carlson
Pastor, Imprint Community Church, Perry Hall, MD

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Jeff Belcher
Pastor, Church of the Harbor, Baltimore, MD

Steve Fehrman
Pastor, Southern Calvert Baptist, Lusby, MD

Josh Turansky
Pastor, Haven City Church, Baltimore, MD

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Ron Blankenship
Interim Pastor, Georgia Avenue Baptist Church, Silver Spring, MD

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Chris Walls
Pastor, Covenant Church, Shepherdstown, WV

Ken Ledwell
Pastor, Watersedge Baptist Church, Baltimore, MD

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John Lee
Pastor, Mars Hill Baptist Church, Essex, MD

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Steve Wolverton

Pastor, Canton Baptist Chruch, Baltimore, MD

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Gayle Clifton
Pastor, Retired, Silver Spring, MD

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Joel Gilbert

Poolesville Baptist Church, Poolesville, MD

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Jon Morris
Pastor, First Baptist Church of Delmar, Delmar, MD

 

Joe Giles
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Easton, MD

Kevin Marr
Pastor, Faith Baptist Church, Jefferson, MD

Jeremy Schmucker
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Laurel, MD

Jeremy Dickson
Pastor, Freedom Church Baltimore, Baltimore, MD

Brian Sandifer
Pastor, Potomac Heights Baptist Church, Indian Head, MD

David Hays
Pastor, Battlefield Bible Church, Fairplay, MD

Bruce Conley
Pastor, Myersville Baptist Church, Myersville, MD

David Brown
Pastor, Severna Park Baptist Church, Severna Park, MD

David Scafide
Pastor, Manchester Baptist Church, Manchester, MD

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Jack Maroon
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Crisfield, MD