DALLAS (ABP) — The Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board will meet in executive session Nov. 13 to consider its response to the report about mismanaged and misused funds in the Rio Grande Valley.
The meeting at the Dallas Convention Center will be the second special meeting of the board within two weeks. On Oct. 31, attorneys Diane Dillard and Michael Rodriguez and forensic accountant Carlos Barrera reported Texas Baptists gave more than $1.3 million in start-up funding and monthly support to three pastors in the Rio Grande Valley. The pastors reported 258 church starts between 1999 and 2005, but investigators said up to 98 percent of those churches no longer exist, and some never existed.
The investigation revealed poor oversight, uneven management and failure to follow established guidelines in church starting on the part of some of the BGCT Executive Board's staff.
The investigative team offered seven recommendations to prevent misuse and to strengthen accountability. At its Oct. 31 meeting, the board took no immediate action on the recommendations, but BGCT Executive Director Charles Wade reported he plans to implement some of them.
A Nov. 3 e-mail sent to all Executive Board directors said the board will consider its response, including determination of the board's role in responding to and implementing the recommendations of the report and any additional appropriate actions or responses to the report.”
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