IMB President David Platt apologizes for legal brief that supports building of mosque

David Platt, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's (SBC) International Mission Board (IMB), has issued an apology for joining an amicus brief in support of Muslims who were seeking to build a mosque in New Jersey.

"I apologize to Southern Baptists for how distracting and divisive this has been," said Platt during a meeting with baptist state paper editors in Ontario, California.

The legal brief that was filed last May was joined by 20 faith-based groups, including the SBC's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) as well as the Baptist Joint committee for Religious Liberty. On New Year's eve, the Islamic Society of Basking Ridge won the nearly four-year legal battle to build the new mosque.

Following the filing of the brief, Dean Haun, pastor of First Baptist Church in Morristown, Tennessee, resigned as a member of the IMB board of trustees in November. Haun's resignation prompted IMB leaders to revise their policy on amicus briefs to "speak only into situations that are directly tied to our mission."

"I am confident that in the days ahead, the IMB will have better processes in place to keep us focused on our primary mission," Platt said, according to the Baptist Press.

Platt also apologized to the executive directors of the Baptist state convention who are holding their meetings at the same time and location. He said that his agency would need a new process for filing amicus briefs, and he expressed his plans to discuss such a policy at an IMB trustee meeting that will be held on Feb. 28 to Mar. 1.

While the ERLC has also drawn criticism for joining the legal brief, it has not altered its position in favor of building the mosque.

Meanwhile, former SBC President Jack Graham has announced that his church in Texas will be withholding funds earmarked for the convention while the congregation discusses unspecified positions taken by the ERLC leadership "that do not reflect the beliefs and values of many in the Southern Baptist Convention."

"I'm not angry at the SBC, and neither are our people," said Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas. "We're just concerned about the direction of the Southern Baptist Convention, and feel the need to make some changes in the way we give," he added.