SWBTS executives to respond to fraud allegations at May 30 meeting

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The BH Carroll Memorial Building at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. | (WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/MICHAEL-DAVID BRADFORD)

The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary board of trustees will hold a meeting that reportedly focuses on allegations of identity and credit card fraud, as well as embezzlement by donors.

Southwestern leaders are expected to hold the meeting on May 30, with a focus on documents received last month detailing allegations of fraud, according to Baptist Press, the official news service of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Administrator Aaron Sligar, who filed the report, told Baptist Press that an unnamed source leaked the report in question and that the April document was never intended for the press or the public; as such, it does not represent an official statement of the council.

The Baptist Press also released a statement attributed to SWBTS Board Chairman Danny Roberts and the Executive Committee of the Board, which noted that the seminary had inherited and endured a difficult time for more than eight months after the resignation of the former president.

Out of a desire to balance charity to the past president with the need to address the actions and decisions that have brought us to the present state of the seminary, the board of trustees released limited information to the Southern Baptist public while that he fulfilled his fiduciary duty to carefully assess certain financial matters, they said.

Unfortunately, some people have questioned the integrity of the board’s processes and actions. While it is unwise at this time to respond to every claim that is now circulating on various platforms, we affirm that claims of improper activities by Board Officers, Executive Committee and/or staff named are without merit, and the Board of Directors will publish all relevant and appropriate information following a special meeting of the Board of Directors to be held on May 30 to deal with these matters.

The seminar leadership also noted that the US Department of Justice was investigating the SBC on issues of sexual abuse, which the convention announced last August. Roberts and the Southwest Executive Committee have insisted that they are cooperating fully in this matter.

The May 30 meeting proceeded via a bylaw that allows a majority of directors to call a meeting, Baptist News Global reported Thursday.

BNG also reported that Roberts had received a letter from anonymous directors listing three points of concern: why Sligars’ investigation into financial irregularities was not fully detailed at the April meeting, most directors weren’t being apparently unaware of a written report of the Sligar investigation and matters regarding Southwestern Vice. Chairman for Institutional Administration Colby Adams created an entity called Future Fort Worth which used the home belonging to Adams Seminary as its registered address.

Last November, Southwestern spokesman James A. Smith sent a statement to the Christian Post confirming that the seminary had laid off staff and may pursue other steps to address budget issues.

As part of the previously announced intention to implement organizational restructuring, including budget cuts, under the direction of the Board of Directors, the interim administration informed some staff that their employment had ended, reads -on in last November’s press release.

These decisions have been extremely difficult as we seek to address our current challenges. We recognize the disruption this is causing for these staff members and their families. There’s certainly no joy in having to make those decisions right now. Appropriate severance pay is being offered to affected employees.

In April, Southwestern directors unanimously elected David S. Dockery as the new chairman to replace former chairman Adam Greenway, who stepped down in September last year.

Dockery had served as interim president before his election, with trustees also electing Southern Baptist leader OS Hawkins to the newly created position of chancellor.

Last October, when he was acting president, Dockery told directors that if Southwestern were not in crisis, the seminary’s financial problems could quickly escalate into a crisis if we do not act aggressively to resolve them. .

For this institution to have a sustainable business model, we must reduce our campus footprint and the commitment of the resources necessary to maintain it, Dockery said at the time, as quoted by Baptist Press.

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