SBC Can't Define What a Pastor Is

Southern Baptist Convention in turmoil over pastor definition

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the nation's largest Protestant denomination, is facing a crisis of identity and authority as it struggles to define what constitutes a pastor in its churches.

The controversy erupted in February when the SBC's executive committee voted to expel Saddleback Church, one of the largest and most influential congregations in the denomination, for ordaining three women as pastors. The decision was challenged by Saddleback's founding pastor Rick Warren, who appealed to the convention's annual meeting in New Orleans on Tuesday.

Warren, who retired as senior pastor last year, argued that the SBC has historically been a diverse and tolerant body that has agreed to disagree on secondary doctrines. He said that his church's decision to ordain women was based on biblical principles and practical needs, and that no one was asking other churches to change their theology.

"In 175 years, the Southern Baptist Convention has been a blend of a dozen different tribes,” Warren said during the three minutes he was allotted to appeal. “What we share in common is a mutual commitment to the infallibility of God’s word and the great commission of Jesus Christ.”

Warren's plea was met with applause and cheers from some messengers, but also with boos and jeers from others. The convention ultimately upheld the executive committee's decision by a narrow margin of 51% to 49%, effectively cutting ties with Saddleback Church.

The vote exposed deep divisions within the SBC over issues such as gender roles, racial justice, sexual abuse and political engagement. It also raised questions about the authority and interpretation of the Baptist Faith and Message, the denomination's statement of faith that affirms that "the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture."

Some conservatives, led by the newly formed Conservative Baptist Network, have accused the SBC leadership of drifting away from biblical orthodoxy and caving in to cultural pressures. They have called for a return to the "conservative resurgence" that took control of the denomination in the 1980s and 1990s.

Others, including incumbent SBC President Bart Barber, have defended the mainstream conservative position that affirms complementarianism (the belief that men and women have different but complementary roles in the church and home) but also allows for some flexibility and diversity in practice.

Barber, a Texas pastor who was reelected on Tuesday with 68% of the vote over Georgia pastor Mike Stone, a leader of the Conservative Baptist Network, said that he respects Saddleback Church and Rick Warren, but that he believes they have gone beyond the bounds of cooperation.

"I believe that we have a clear statement in our Baptist Faith and Message that says that pastoral ministry is reserved for men," Barber said. "I believe that is faithful to Scripture, and I believe that is what Southern Baptists have agreed to cooperate around."

The debate over women pastors is not new in the SBC. In 2000, the convention amended its statement of faith to explicitly exclude women from pastoral ministry, reversing a previous position that allowed for local church autonomy on the issue. Since then, several churches have been disfellowshipped for violating this rule, but others have continued to ordain or hire women as pastors or co-pastors.

The issue resurfaced last year when Saddleback Church announced that it had ordained three women as pastors who led worship for children and students and provided pastoral care such as hospital visits and funerals. The church also made Stacie Wood, wife of senior pastor Andy Wood, a teaching pastor this summer.

Saddleback Church is not alone in its practice. According to a recent survey by LifeWay Research, 8% of SBC pastors say their church has had a woman as pastor or co-pastor at some point in its history, and 3% say their church currently has one.

The survey also found that younger pastors are more likely than older ones to support women pastors. Among pastors aged 18 to 44, 12% say they are open to having a woman as pastor or co-pastor in their church, compared to 3% of those aged 45 and older.

Some advocates for women pastors say that the SBC is missing out on the gifts and contributions of half of its membership by excluding them from leadership roles. They point to examples of women leaders in Scripture and church history who preached, taught and prophesied.

Others say that the SBC is following God's design for male headship and female submission in the church and home. They argue that allowing women pastors would undermine the authority of Scripture and the complementarity of the sexes. The most extreme of them believe that women potatoes are a sign of the end times. They believe that when women preach, the Antichrist is near. They also believe that when women vote, the Democrats win.

The debate over women pastors has also been compared to the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court by President Joe Biden. Jackson, who was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday, is the first Black woman to serve on the nation's highest court.

Some have praised Jackson as a trailblazer and a role model for women and people of color. They have highlighted her impressive credentials, her judicial experience and her commitment to the rule of law.

Others have criticized Jackson as a radical and a threat to the Constitution. They have questioned her judicial philosophy, her views on abortion and religious liberty and her ties to former President Barack Obama.

One joke circulating on social media compares the SBC's dilemma to Jackson's confirmation process:

Q: How do you know if someone is a pastor in the SBC?

A: Ask them if they support Ketanji Brown Jackson for the Supreme Court.

If they say yes, they are not a pastor.

If they say no, they are not a woman.

(1) Southern Baptists reelect Bart Barber president of the SBC. https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/religion/2023/06/13/southern-baptists-reelect-texas-pastor-bart-barber-president-of-the-southern-baptist-convention/70290892007/.

(2) Founding pastor Rick Warren appeals ouster of Saddleback Church from .... https://www.dailynews.com/2023/06/13/founding-pastor-rick-warren-appeals-ouster-of-saddleback-church-from-southern-baptist-convention/.

(3) Southern Baptists reelect Bart Barber as president in win for mainstream conservatives. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/southern-baptists-reelect-bart-barber-as-president-in-win-for-mainstream-conservatives/ar-AA1cvJk4.

(4) Bart Barber reelected president of the Southern Baptist Convention. https://www.christianpost.com/news/bart-barber-reelected-president-of-the-southern-baptist-convention.html.

(5) Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court - The White House. https://www.whitehouse.gov/kbj/.

(6) Biden introduces Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as Supreme Court nominee. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/biden-nominate-judge-ketanji-brown-jackson-supreme-court-rcna15941.

(7) Who is Biden Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson?. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-supreme-court-nominee-ketanji-brown-jackson-background.

(8) Supreme Court: Biden nominates Ketanji Brown Jackson to top court. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-60528132. Baptists reelect Bart Barber president of the SBC. https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/religion/2023/06/13/southern-baptists-reelect-texas-pastor-bart-barber-president-of-the-southern-baptist-convention/70290892007/.