A special meeting of the executive committee of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has been called to consider the resignation of former president Frank Page last month.

Page, a long-time Southern Baptist statesman, announced his retirement on March 26, but subsequently admitted a 'personal failure' had led him to withdraw from active ministry.

According to Baptist Press, committee chairman Stephen Rummage said in an email to members: 'As you know, concerns and questions abound in regard to the sudden and grievous departure of our EC president.'

He will submit a report on the circumstances of Page's departure to the committee, which will consider the process for appointing a replacement.

Among the executive committee president's duties is overseeing the $200-million budget for the SBC's Cooperative Program, which funds state and national projects.

Roger S Oldham, vice president for convention communications and relations, told Baptist Press that based on the conversation Page and Rummage had after his resignation, officers had 'no reason to suspect any legal impropriety'. He added: 'The executive committee will exercise due diligence to determine if anything has occurred that would require further action.'

Rummage announced after Page's resignation that he had admitted to 'a morally inappropriate relationship in the recent past'. The nature of the relationship is not known and Page declined to comment further when asked by the USA Today network (Tennessee).