The Biblical Recorder has served North Carolina Baptists as the Baptist State Convention’s official news journal. It was founded in 1833.

Norman Jameson, editor of the Biblical Recorder since Aug. 1, 2007, has resigned, effective Dec. 31, 2010.

Saying his resignation was “not required, but necessary,” Jameson offered to resign prior to a regularly scheduled board meeting in Charlotte Oct. 21. Board members expected their meeting to include discussion about an announced challenge to the Recorder’s Cooperative Program funding through the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina when the convention meets Nov. 8-10.

A letter to the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina Executive Director-Treasurer Milton A. Hollifield Jr. and copied to the Recorder board members threatened such action if the editor was not removed. Hollifield has no supervisory responsibility for the Recorder, which is an entity of the Baptist state convention with a separate board.

Cooperative Program funding accounts for about 45 percent of the Biblical Recorder’s $726,500 budget in 2010.

“It seems that Mr. Jameson does not know the mindset of this predominantly biblically conservative state … enough is enough,” wrote Sandy Beck, director of missions in the Carolina Baptist Association. “If his board of directors cannot influence his lack of sensitivity, perhaps the conservative pastors and laity of this state can.”

Jameson, a Baptist journalist since 1977, said he was confident until just hours before the board meeting that the Recorder would survive such a challenge if it were to materialize. But with no such confidence expressed by the board, he offered to resign.

[Editor’s note: This article is incomplete. The source for this document was originally published on bpnews.net—however, the original URL is no longer available.]