Indianapolis continues to gear up to host the 2024 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium—the first time the event has been held at an NFL stadium. But officials already have their eyes set on the trials for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

“We want to be a part of the Olympic movement going into LA in ’28,” said Indiana Sports Corp President Patrick Talty. “We think that it would make all the sense in the world for us to be a part of that movement.”

Speaking on Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick, Talty said the process to secure the 2028 trials begins now, just like the effort for this year’s event, which began four years ago.

“This bid was actually done during the pandemic. So in June and July of 2020, we were in our offices, masked up, six feet apart actually putting this together,” said Talty. “We had to think, ‘How do we put the full package together? What are sporting events going to look like, and what can we do unique for the swimming trials?’ We felt like we could take it to the next level. We could set a new bar for what the Olympics will be trials could be in other cities.”

Indianapolis competed against three other finalist cities, including Omaha, Nebraska, which had hosted the trials since 2004, as well as Minneapolis and St. Louis. Talty said the pitch to host the event in Lucas Oil Stadium was intriguing.

“We were thinking, how do we put it in the biggest venue with the most accessibility for the fans to be able to to attend and get to experience it? Because in Omaha, unfortunately, the seating kind of limited how many people could come, and they were selling out very quickly. So, we thought NFL stadium is the best place for that.”

Talty credits downtown Indy’s walkability and the state’s “Hoosier hospitality” as two key reasons why the city continues to land big events like the swim trials. But he said the collaboration in the city is another crucial part of it.

“Our ability to come together to create, to accomplish great things is like no other city. I’ve lived in other cities. I’ve hosted events in other cities, and our ability to come together no matter what walk of life, no matter where we’ve come from, no matter what side of the aisle we’re on, we come together and we accomplish those great things in Indy.”

While this year’s swim trials begin on Saturday, running through June 23, Talty said he’s looking toward making a bid for the 2028 event.

“We should absolutely do it,” he said. “Now, I think the one thing I would say is we need people to come out. We need people to experience this. And we need people to show swimming that central Indiana cares about the Olympic movement, and filling this venue would go a long way with that.”

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INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A measure to ban women from holding the title of pastor in Southern Baptist churches failed Wednesday despite widespread support.

The vote at the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) annual meeting, held at the Indiana Convention Center, ends for now a three-year fight that has caused some churches to leave the organization. The measure would have amended the SBC Constitution to state that only men could hold the title of pastor.

The move would have further codified existing church doctrine. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, which outlines the SBC’s basic theological doctrines, states, “While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.”

SBC insiders say adoption of the amendment would not have automatically forced churches with women pastors to leave the SBC, nor would it have signified any doctrinal change.

Meeting delegates, known as messengers in SBC parlance, pointed to the ongoing debate over LGBTQ+ clergy in other denominations as evidence of the need to add the language to the SBC Constitution. Ryan Fullerton, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, said the measure would not prevent women from serving in other capacities such as children’s ministry.

“The culture is attacking gender on all fronts,” he said. “What better way to express our countercultural commitment to the goodness of God’s Word than to affirm God’s creation order related to the office of pastor?”

Spence Shelton, pastor of Mercy Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, was the only person to speak against the measure before debate was cut off. He said the measure was redundant due to the language already in the Baptist Faith and Message. Shelton noted the SBC had just revoked the membership of First Alexandria Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, on Tuesday over the women pastors issue and kicked out two more last year.

“The question is, is the amendment necessary for our Convention to respond when churches in our Convention act in a way contrary to our doctrine?” he said. “We showed last year we have an effective mechanism.”

The amendment passed a preliminary vote at last year’s SBC annual meeting. It needed a final, two-thirds vote in order to be ratified. On Wednesday, 61% of the meeting messengers voted in favor of it, falling short of the threshold.

Some churches already have left the SBC over the amendment and what it represents. May Memorial Baptist Church in Powhatan, Va. quit a year ago rather than remove a woman from the position of associate pastor. Michael Edwards, the senior pastor, told News 8 that Scripture isn’t nearly as clear on the question of female pastors as SBC leaders are making it out to be. He said even though the amendment failed, he does not plan to rejoin the SBC.

“Who wants to be at the table with people who don’t want you there? I don’t,” he said.

Southern Baptist churches are independent. A church can be removed from what is termed “friendly cooperation” with the Southern Baptist Convention by a vote of messengers at the SBC annual meeting. This has little direct effect on a church, but it does prevent the church from accessing SBC programs such as education assistance at Southern Baptist seminaries.

Edwards said he expects someone will bring the measure back at a subsequent annual meeting. SBC staff said the amendment process would have to start over if someone wanted to do so. The earliest anyone could propose one would be at the 2025 annual meeting in Dallas and the earliest SBC messengers could hold a final vote would be at the 2027 annual meeting.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Department of Public Works will activate a new traffic signal, improving pedestrian safety as part of the Indiana Avenue and 10th Street expansion of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail.

According to a release, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail announced DPW will add a new addition of a new traffic signal at the intersection of Paca Steet, Indiana Avenue, and West St. Clair Street by the end of the week.

The new traffic signal will enhance pedestrian safety and increase connectivity in the Ranson Place neighborhood and for everyone who travels through the area. It will also impact traffic flow, so travelers will need to plan their commutes accordingly.

“Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Inc. is proud to continue creating safe experiences for all those who enjoy the Cultural Trail,” said Kären Haley, Indianapolis Cultural Trail executive director in a release. “The signal improves safety and better connects the expanded Trail to the Ransom Place neighborhood and nearby destinations. It is an example of how the entire City benefits from infrastructure improvements like the Cultural Trail that enhance the pedestrian experience in Indianapolis.”

Per the release, the opening marks the first expansion of the internationally recognized linear park. The expansion will better connect the Indiana Avenue cultural district, connecting the front door of the Madam Walker Legacy Center, while creating a new connection to the Fall Creek Trail and White River Wapahani Trail.

“The expansion of the Cultural Trail includes 170,000 decorative pavers, 23 stormwater planters, 13 benches, nine bike racks, cultural interpretive panels, 8,950 perennials and shrubs, 78 trees, and a new traffic signal at the Paca Street, St Clair Street and Indiana Avenue intersection.”

The Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene and Marilyn Glick will open on Thursday, June 20, with a ribbon cutting and community celebration events.

$28.5 million was raised for the estimated $30 million project.

Click here to learn more.