Brad Atkins moved that the seminaries consider lessening their budgets slightly to increase the International Mission Board funding formula. I’d vote for it, but it ain’t gonna happen.

The introduction of motions is often a silly season during the SBC. There are a few good motions every year, a few nit-picky type motions, one or two personal crusades, and some downright silly ones.

1) No presentation of motions session would be complete without a Wiley Drake sighting. Wiley moved that the New SBC president be instructed to study and report on the subject of Imprecatory prayers.

That motion almost died for lack of a second. It will die soon.

2) I was walking to my seat when Todd Littleton made his motion concerning Richard Land. The gist, as I got it, was to affirm our disdain for Land’s remarks and to affirm the trustees reprimand.

3) There was an obligatory motion chastising LifeWay for selling the NIV.

4) Brad Atkins moved that the seminaries consider lessening their budgets slightly to increase the International Mission Board funding formula. I’d vote for it, but it ain’t gonna happen.

5) R. Richard Tribble offered a series of motions.

He moved (I think) to prevent people from using the platform mic. Not sure why.

He moved that nominating speeches be required to include Cooperative Program percentage on the speech. Not a bad idea, but likely not to be acted on.

He moved that we act to see that the convention not conflict with Fathers Day.

He also moved to establish a set of guidelines and a training program for SBC trustees.

6) Daniel Palmer moved that we change the convention from annual to biennial.

7) Gary Griffith (or Griffis?) moved that we relocate the 2015 SBC to Memphis where the Cooperative program was adopted.

I was walking in and missed a few. These are the ones I got.

Three fates await these motions.

1) They are ruled out of order. Many of these will be. Often, motions are ruled out of order if they are really resolutions.

2) They are referred to agencies. This is the bulk of them. The entity ‘s Boards of Trustees will act on them and report back in Houston (99.99% no).

3) Once in a while we vote on them. Of the ones I heard, I doubt Amy will be scheduled for vote.

Of course, there can be appeals and certainly will be.

Dave Miller, Editor of the SBC voices website, serves as senior pastor of Southern Hills Baptist Church in Sioux City, Iowa. He is a graduate of Palm Beach Atlantic College (now University) and SWBTS. He served churches in Florida and Virginia before returning to Iowa, where he grew up, in 1991, and has served two churches there.  Dave is known as one of the top bloggers in the SBC, where this article first appeared, and has graciously given us permission to reprint his blogs.