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November 13, 2007, 10:42 AM ET
Board Members And Blogging
Should the board member of a charity write a blog?
That question is being raised after last week’s decision by the trustees of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board to suspend one of its members for, essentially, writing critiques of the organization on his personal blog.
The Richmond, Va., group, which oversees the Southern Baptist Convention’s missionary and relief work abroad, temporarily suspended a trustee, Wade Burleson, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Enid, Okla., for violating the trustees’ code of conduct, reported the Baptist Press.
The censure motion said Mr. Burleson failed to follow rules that trustees “refrain from public criticism of board-approved actions” and “scrupulously avoid either the fact or the appearance” of having disclosed information or private conversations from board meetings, according to the Press.
Since 2005, Mr. Burleson has written critiques of the International Mission Board on his blog, Grace and Truth to You.
In a posting written after the trustees voted, Mr. Burleson said that he continues to support the organization and its leadership, but questions the reasoning behind the suspension.
“I will always speak, and have always spoken, in positive and supportive terms of the mission and people of the IMB, both missionaries and trustees. I do agree that I have sometimes, not often, spoken critically about actions of our board, but I have a hard time understanding how a trustee can be supportive of board actions that he does not personally support,” he wrote.
What do you think? Do you agree with the censure against Mr. Burleson? Should board members be allowed to voice their opinions — and criticisms — on their blogs? Click on the comments link below this post to share your thoughts.
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