Baptist Mission Leader Resigns

The head of the Southern Baptist Convention’s U.S. missions organization has resigned amid concerns about his management, reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The Rev. Robert Reccord, who led the North American Mission Board, in Alpharetta, Ga., since 1997, had been criticized for losing $1-million from conferences he planned and giving a $3-million contract to an acquaintance without taking outside bids.

A Southern Baptist Convention committee said it investigated those concerns, and found that there was reason to be concerned. But the Rev. Barry Holcomb, chairman of the domestic mission group, said he did not believe there was any evidence that Mr. Reccord acted unethically.

In his resignation letter, Mr. Reccord cited “honest philosophical and methodological differences” and said he found it “increasingly difficult to be an entrepreneurial leader within a denominational structure.”

Mr. Reccord did not comment directly on the charges in the newspaper article.