At the Annual Meeting, messengers voted multiple times overwhelmingly in favor of complementarianism. One of those votes included amending Article III of the SBC Constitution with a sixth requirement of churches. The exact wording of that section of Article III would read: “The Convention will only deem a church to be in friendly cooperation with the Convention, and sympathetic with its purposes and work … which: … 6.Affirms, appoints, or employs only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture.” If messengers in Indianapolis next year give a second affirmative vote … [Read more...] about How Will Churches Respond to a Moratorium on Female Pastors? (Stephanie Jones)
Could you cooperate with this church?
That is the question. Here's a church: The church has always been SBC, at every level, association, state convention, and national convention. The church supports each of those "levels" of SBC life through contributions. The church is doctrinally orthodox and closely identifies with the BFM although it has not been formally adopted as the church's statement of faith. The lead pastor has two degrees from one of the six SBC seminaries. The lead pastor is ordained by an SBC church, has never been anything other than a Southern Baptist. The lead pastor has started several … [Read more...] about Could you cooperate with this church?
What CAN Women Do in the Church? (Stephanie Jones)
Around the time discussing Beth Moore’s Mother’s Day activities became controversial, my pastor husband and I began having regular – and sometimes heated – conversations about what women can’t do in service of the church. The question I started asking was, “What, then, can women do in the church?” As complementarians, we are quick to make lists, and they vary from church to church: women cannot preach, women cannot teach mixed group classes, women cannot be ordained, women cannot baptize, women cannot be the worship leader, women cannot be deacons, women cannot be in authority over a … [Read more...] about What CAN Women Do in the Church? (Stephanie Jones)
Scatter Shooting – Part 6
Scatter shooting while thinking that Bart Barber is out, standing in his field. Color me pleased that Bart Barber won the SBC presidency for a second time. He has served us well and deserved a second term. Beyond that, he has proven one need not be a mega-church pastor to handle the demands of the office. That opinion was often voiced in the past. Color me perplexed that Mike Stone chose to run in 2023. Surely, next year would have been better for him. He was bucking SBC tradition—to give a president a second term—and a popular candidate, also. I was not surprised that the SBC … [Read more...] about Scatter Shooting – Part 6
Baptists Love Task Forces!
At the 2023 meeting in New Orleans, one common thing that came up over and over was proposals for a task force/committee. There were several calls, proposals, submissions, motions, and more about creating task forces. They were to study the BFM, study the seminaries, study the mission board, and study all sorts of things. A couple were approved from the floor as Baptist Press reported: The convention also approved the appointment of a task force to study the impact of the Great Commission Resurgence recommendations adopted in 2009 and a task force to study how the Convention should regard … [Read more...] about Baptists Love Task Forces!
On Pastoral Ministry and Job Titles (Phillip Powers)
Language really is a funny thing, because so often how words are used determines what they mean regardless of their actual definition. Or to put it another way, meaning is dictated by connotation more than by actual denotation. This is especially so when it comes to current discussions in the Southern Baptist Convention about who can and cannot serve as pastor. Over the past several decades, the titles and types of pastors on church staffs all across this country have proliferated exponentially. We now have Senior Pastors, Lead Pastors, Teaching Pastors, Executive Pastors, Assistant … [Read more...] about On Pastoral Ministry and Job Titles (Phillip Powers)
Jay’s Top 10 (and thank-yous) from New Orleans #SBC23
This is gonna be a long one. For the last few years I have posted a list of things I would identify as my top 10 takeaways, favorite things or memorable events from the annual meeting. This year’s list will be different than my normal post-convention review for 2 main reasons. First, I have had a peek behind the curtain into the making of the convention and it has been an eye-opener for me. I wish everyone in the convention could see what I’ve seen over the last 16+ months. Second, I had the privilege of being involved with the planning of this meeting and it has been personally satisfying … [Read more...] about Jay’s Top 10 (and thank-yous) from New Orleans #SBC23
Understanding Adult Sexual Abuse: A breakout session at the #SBC23 Annual Meeting (Video)
On Tuesday night during the SBC Annual Meeting, a breakout session sponsored by SBC Voices took place, focusing on the dynamics of adult sexual abuse. Dr. Heather Evans, an expert in the subject matter, joined forces with Chellee Taylor, a survivor of clergy abuse, and pastor and SBC Voices member, Dr. Todd Benkert, to lead the session. As part of the program, Chellee and her husband Peter were interviewed and shared their own experience of the impact of adult clergy sexual abuse. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to each of our speakers for their valuable contributions. We would also like … [Read more...] about Understanding Adult Sexual Abuse: A breakout session at the #SBC23 Annual Meeting (Video)
We CANNOT Back Off or Back Down in Facing Sexual Abuse
Listening to Chellee Taylor last night at the SBC Voices breakout session on Adult Sexual Abuse in Churches, put together by Todd Benkert, I was reminded of how important this subject is. I sat as she told her horrifying story of abuse in an SBC megachurch, as one of her pastors groomed and then abused her in ways that are horrendous. I read the full story online while she talked. Then, her husband (I think his name was Peter) got up to speak and he said something that I've heard other survivors say. He said that the abuse, as awful as it was, wasn't the worst part of their trauma. It … [Read more...] about We CANNOT Back Off or Back Down in Facing Sexual Abuse
Definitive Ballot Results (and It WAS the DAY to Vote for JAY!)
Our buddy Jay Adkins was elected overwhelmingly on the first ballot to be First Vice President of the SBC. There were 12,715 messengers registered, and 3782 voting at the end of the day. Jay received 2343 votes, for 63.27% of the votes. Dusty Deevers, the surprise candidate, received 784 votes, for 20.73%. Gevan Spinney received 581 votes, or 15.52%. We, here at SBC Voices, are thrilled for our brother Jay! The results of the ballot votes to uphold the rulings of the EC to dismiss three churches from being considered as in friendly cooperation from the SBC were also announced, … [Read more...] about Definitive Ballot Results (and It WAS the DAY to Vote for JAY!)