INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—California pastor Rob Zinn was elected chairman of the Southern Baptist Executive Committee during its meeting June 14 prior to the SBC annual meeting.

Zinn, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Highland, Calif., was elected chairman over Calvin Wittman, pastor of Applewood Baptist Church in Wheat Ridge, Colo. Zinn succeeds Texas pastor Gary A. Smith, whose term expires.

William F. (Bill) Harrell, pastor of Abilene Baptist Church in Evans, Ga., was elected vice chairman, while C.J. Bordeaux, senior pastor of West Monroe Baptist Church in Monroe, N.C., was elected secretary. Both were elected by acclimation. Harrell and Bordeaux succeeded William E. Anderson and Marty Odom, whose terms in their respective positions expired.

In other business the Executive Committee:

• approved a request from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary to borrow $1.7 million to fund phase one of the seminary’s “master plan” renovation and construction project. Phase one involves renovating Alumni Chapel, Carver Hall and Rankin Hall and building additional parking lots.
• approved a new quarterly International Mission Board publication named To the Ends of the Earth. The new eight-page publication, called a “mini-magazine,” is designed to create awareness about international missions and will be distributed free of charge to churches and individuals throughout the convention. The mini-magazine is being sent to subscribers of The Commission, which was suspended last spring for financial reasons. IMB officials, though, say that the new publication is not intended to replace The Commission.
• passed a recommendation to Southern Baptist messengers asking New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary trustees to adopt the corporate organizational model known as sole membership.