Baptist Women in Ministry praise failed SBC ban on female pastors

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Thursday, June 13, 2024

Whereas the vast majority of Southern Baptist messengers had been left upset Wednesday by the failure of a proposed modification to the Southern Baptist Conference’s structure to completely ban girls from serving as pastors “as qualified by Scripture,” teams like Baptist Girls in Ministry applauded.

The Texas-based advocacy group, which helps girls who pursue ministry and management in Baptist church buildings, represents a coalition of ladies linked to denominations such because the Southern Baptist Conference, Alliance of Baptists, American Baptist Church buildings USA, Baptist Common Affiliation of Virginia, Baptist Common Conference of Texas, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Common Baptist State Conference of North Carolina, Nationwide Baptist Conference, USA, Nationwide Missionary Baptist Conference and  Progressive Nationwide Baptist Conference.

Some 5,099 — or 61% of messengers who solid ballots at America’s largest Protestant denomination’s Annual Assembly in Indianapolis, Indiana — voted in favor of the proposed modification to the SBC’s structure, referred to as the Regulation Modification. The proposal wanted 66.66% of the votes to be ratified. About 38%, or 3,185 messengers, opposed the movement.

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“Baptist Women in Ministry offers appreciation to all the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) who voted against the Law amendment BECAUSE of their commitment to support and affirm women serving as pastors of all kinds in the SBC,” the group stated in an announcement Wednesday following the vote.

“We are grateful to churches and messengers represented at the SBC who came to send the message that women have equal value to God. We know that others voted against the amendment for other reasons, but we hope the message of your support for female pastors will be amplified,” the assertion added.

The modification acquired a lot much less assist than it did when it was proposed by Pastor Mike Regulation of Arlington Baptist Church in Virginia on the SBC’s Annual Assembly in June 2023, which handed with roughly 80% of the vote from greater than 12,000 messengers.

In his assertion on the failed proposal, Regulation urged Southern Baptists to maintain combating for biblical faithfulness as some brazenly mentioned leaving the denomination on social media due to what they see as a liberal drift.

“Southern Baptists, I am grateful to God for you. Yes, I am disappointed in the results, but I am not disheartened. 61% of Southern Baptists voted for the Amendment, that is a majority, that is encouraging, and that is something we can build upon,” Regulation wrote.

“Realize that leaving loses the ground gained, your labors for this amendment were not in vain, therefore my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58),” he continued. “Now is not the time to leave, but to lean in, lead, and labor for biblical faithfulness, while believing the best about brothers and sisters who came to a different conclusion on this Amendment.”

The Baptist Religion and Message 2000 defines “pastor” as “one who fulfills the pastoral office and carries out the pastor’s functions.” Article VI of The Baptist Religion and Message 2000 additional notes that the scriptural places of work are pastors and deacons and “[w]hile both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.”

Messengers overwhelmingly voted in assist of the modification to completely ban girls from serving as pastors final 12 months, hours after 88% of messengers voted to uphold the removing of Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church for permitting a lady to serve within the workplace of a instructing pastor. The removing of Fern Creek Baptist Church for having a lady pastor was additionally affirmed by a vote of 92%.

In his arguments supporting the modification, Regulation famous that as of June 2023, there have been greater than 1,000 SBC church buildings with feminine pastors in “direct contradiction to both God’s Word … and the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.

“These churches are confused in thinking that embracing God’s word on this issue will lead to institutional decline. Many of these churches don’t understand that the same interpretive method that leads to female pastors also leads to practicing homosexual pastors,” Regulation argued.

He said that the denomination has already misplaced dozens of church buildings as a result of toleration of feminine pastors.

“Generally speaking, history shows that once a denomination has female pastors, it’s usually just a matter of time until they ordain homosexual pastors,” he stated.

He identified that the American Baptist Church buildings USA allowed feminine pastors in 1985 and by 1999 they had been permitting gay pastors. The Episcopal Church USA made that shift in 1976 and by 1996 they started permitting gay pastors. He identified that the ELCA, the PCUSA, and the United Methodists all adopted the same trajectory.

“The reality is this issue has been a canary in the coalmine for many denominations. If we cannot be clear and unashamed about what the Bible says a pastor is now, then there is little hope that we will stand firm on other teachings of God’s Word that are out of step with the standards of the world,” he wrote. “We must believe what the Bible teaches and go wherever it leads regardless of cost or consequences.”

Outspoken SBC Pastor Dwight McKissic, who based and leads Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, was among the many minority of SBC pastors celebrating the failure of the Regulation Modification.

“Really hopeful that Mike Law will now go back to minding his own business and church affairs, and to stop combing other churches websites looking for a female occupying the role and title of children’s pastor,” he wrote on X after the vote.

“This has been a major two year distraction. Now that the vote is over, it’s time to let bygones be bygones, circle the wagons, and move forward. It’s not helpful or healthy for our convention to engage in this unnecessary & divisive fight year after year. Two years is more than enough. Drop your weapons.”