Tiffany Thigpen, an abuse survivor named in the report and the resolution of “lament and repentance” adopted Wednesday at the SBC meeting, credited Slade with helping those who had been abused to be seen and heard.
“Rolland has done an excellent job of navigating it all and being clear on his message and his direction, yet helping him navigate neutrality within the system, trying to bring people together,” said Thigpen, who attended a meeting when board members were divided about waiving privilege.
Slade’s denominational colleagues note his general calmness and particular courage through this past year. Though Slade commented to messengers that “the Executive Committee of 2022 is not the Executive Committee of 2021,” he said he wasn’t attempting to throw shade at his former board members.
“They resigned because they felt that was what they needed to do and I honor that decision,” he said. “I voted yes because that’s what I needed to do.”
Slade also said he has learned lessons from colleagues — committee staffers and former SBC presidents — who were named in the report for their connections to abuse or other misdeeds, but he hasn’t forsaken them.
“I still consider them friends because I did learn something from them — good or bad,” he said. “The bad things I will remember and, to make sure do my very best to put in rails to make sure I don’t go that way. And the good things I will keep — their love for the Lord, their love for his word, love for prayer.”
Slade said he never expected to lead the Executive Committee — which handles the business of the SBC outside its two-day meeting — at any time, let alone a particularly fraught one. On his last day as chair, in a backstage green room, his photo was taken with former SBC President Fred Luter, the first African American in that role, and religious broadcaster Tony Evans, both of whom addressed the Southern Baptists gathered in Anaheim.
“I never imagined that would happen,” he said.
The Rev. Kevin James, president of the SBC’s California African American Fellowship, recalled when Slade had another surprising situation — returning to the stage at last year’s convention after learning about the messengers’ unexpected vote for an independent investigation of his committee.
“That speaks to his leadership, that he is bought in, he’s sold out for Baptist life, Southern Baptist life, and doing things right but most of all honoring God,” said James. “When he stands up there, he’s not influenced by any side. He’s strictly ‘We’re going to do things that honor God.’”
The president of the denomination’s National African American Fellowship said at his organization’s annual banquet on Monday that Slade likely went through “a little bit of hell at times” and may still not be able to reveal all the challenges he faced.
