Former SBC president Bart Barber says SBC financial transparency is just fine; gets pushback online for comments

"Is there a reason why being more transparent, requested or not, is a bad thing? It seems like a case of basic accountability.” – Josiah Young

Former Southern Baptist Convention President Bart Barber sparked controversy with a recent series of posts on X/Twitter, claiming the denomination and its entities are highly transparent and align perfectly with the messengers’ expectations.

Barber’s comments came amidst a growing discontent among SBC pastors, who want more transparency from the SBC, with some leading their churches to withhold contributions to the denomination’s united giving plan, the Cooperative Program (CP).

Barber’s posts on social media came after recent court filings by Johnny Hunt’s legal team, which claimed in his $100 million lawsuit that he lost an annual income of $610,000 as a former vice president of the North American Mission Board (NAMB).

Several people question continued support for the Cooperative Program due to disagreements with CP-funded entities and the lack of SBC transparency. Others point to recent failed attempts to increase SBC accountability.

Rhett Burns @rhett_burns, who offered a motion at the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting in New Orleans to amend the SBC Business and Financial Plan for increased financial transparency, responded to Barber’s post saying, “What @bartbarber says here is true, but it only tells part of the story. Yes, I lost the vote to overrule the decision of the chair. That’s what you’ll find in the minutes. But the realpolitik of the situation fills out the story.” Burns, a South Carolina pastor, reintroduced the motion in 2024 but it was referred to the SBC Executive Committee. Read a thread on X of his conversation with Barber.

The amendment by Burns, known as the “990 Amendment,” would require all SBC entities to compile and disclose information in the same detail, scope, and quality as would be required to be disclosed on the IRS Form 990 to any SBC church that asks for it.

“On Form 990, a non-profit organization discloses detailed financial information and describes its mission, significant activities, and governance. Organizations report their revenues, expenses, assets, liabilities, accomplishments, the number of employees, their three largest program services, top contractors, and select compensation information. Additionally, 990s require organizations to answer questions about policies related to conflicts of interest and, related, to disclose transactions with trustees and other interested persons,” Burns wrote in an article for the Center for Baptist Leadership.

Ohio pastor John Michael LaRue @jm_larue wrote on X in response to comments, “Do you think the most SBC messengers would be surprised that the overwhelming majority of Trustees to our entities don’t have access to the financial information that would be revealed in a 990 report? I think the messengers think the trustees are actually entrusted with this information when in fact it’s only a small subcommittee on trustee boards that have it.”

Florida pastor Will McRaney @willmcraney posted, “Indeed - transparency is GREAT for the giver, the organization and all leaders seeking to operate righteously. All WIN! If one is anti-informing honestly, righteous operations, and complete reviews, you are part of the problem.” McRaney has a case pending alleging that NAMB officials defamed him and orchestrated his dismissal by threatening to withdraw essential funding from the Maryland-Delaware convention where he served as executive director.

Missouri pastor Josiah Young @Inv3ntive15 added, “I’m new to all this, is there a reason why being more transparent, requested or not, is a bad thing? It seems like a case of basic accountability.”

Others praised Barber for his leadership as SBC president after he released a detailed account of cooperative mission giving by the church he pastors, First Baptist Church, Farmersville, Texas.

Rex Butler @RexButler5281 posted on X, “Thank you, Bart, for your transparency & for the generosity of FBC Farmersville. When you were elected president of the SBC in 2022, you were the first SBC president since Frank Page, elected in 2006, whose church gave 10% of budget to the Cooperative Program.”