Morris Chapman, SBC statesman, longtime admin, dies at 84

Southern Baptist leader Morris Chapman, who led the nation’s largest Protestant denomination through a stable period after a major schism, died on Oct. 20. He was 84.

As the longtime chief executive for the Southern Baptist Convention’s administrative arm, Chapman was fiercely protective of the Nashville-based denomination’s financial and administrative health. When that goal hit obstacles amid factional disputes or disinterest in contributing to the convention’s collective budget, Chapman was unafraid to call out critics and allies alike.