No liberal drift? In a convention bulletin released this morning, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Credentials Committee revealed that they’re not going to remove Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church from their roles after he famously and unapologetically started to ordain women pastors.
The Credentials Committee suggests that the title and function of pastor can be separated, and while it’s true that only men can hold the “office of pastor” perhaps women can have the “title of pastor” without having a church that is rife with pastrixes to be being disqualified or found not to be in cooperation with the Baptist faith and message. They note that “(we found)…little information evidencing the Convention’s beliefs regarding the use of the ‘title of pastor’ for staff positions with different responsibility and authority than that of the lead pastor.”
Instead, the Credentials Committee says they are “unable to form an opinion regarding the relationship of Saddleback Church to the Southern Baptist Convention until clarity is provided regarding the use of the title “pastor” for staff positions with different responsibility and authority than that of the lead pastor” and they said they will study the issue and get back to the convention next year in 2013.
SBC Referral: To break fellowship with Saddleback Church (Item 68, Proceedings of the Southern Baptist Convention, June 15-16, 2021, SBC Annual, p. 74)
Motion: Shadd Tibbs, Louisiana “That according to Article VI of our Baptist Faith and Message and according to the teaching of 1 Timothy 2:12, that, we the Southern Baptist Convention, of June 2021, break fellowship with Saddleback Church, as they have ordained three ladies as pastors, and all other churches that would choose to follow this path. At the very least, I am asking that the validity of this matter be looked into and report given at the 2022 Convention of the action taken”
Response: It is the unanimous opinion of the Credentials Committee that the majority of Southern Baptists hold to the belief that the function of lead pastor, elder, bishop, or overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture and that this was the intended definition of “office of pastor” as stated in Article VI of the Baptist Faith & Message 2000.
The Credentials Committee has found little information evidencing the Convention’s beliefs regarding the use of the “title of pastor” for staff positions with different responsibility and authority than that of the lead pastor. For this reason, the Credentials Committee makes the following report and recommendation:Report: The Credentials Committee reports to the Southern Baptist Convention during its June 14-15, 2022, annual meeting, that pursuant to SBC Bylaw 8 and SBC Constitution Article III, that it is unable to form an opinion regarding the relationship of Saddleback Church to the Southern Baptist Convention, until clarity is provided regarding the use of the title “pastor” for staff positions with different responsibility and authority than that of the lead pastor. Therefore, the Credentials Committee makes the following recommendation:
Recommendation: The Credentials Committee recommends that the Southern Baptist Convention during its June 14-15, 2022, annual meeting in Anaheim, California, form a study committee, the members of which shall be appointed by the President, to report to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, June 13-14, 2023, in New Orleans, Louisiana, a recommendation providing clarity regarding the “office of pastor” as stated in the Baptist Faith & Message Article VI, The Church, given the many different offices within Baptist churches which include “pastor” in the title, though often with very different responsibilities and authority
This caused even Albert Mohler, who has been in denial for years that there are women pastrixes in SBC churches to publicly rebuke the EC from the convention floor, and then later tweet out:
Rick Warren is the outgoing Lead pastor, and overseer of the 25,000 members, 14 campus Saddleback Church He has recently seen a resurgence from discernment ministries after a few years on the outs. He is famous for peddling to the church the poison and spiritual strychnine that is The Purpose Driven Life for over four decades- a damaging and unbiblical theology that has seeped into tens of thousands of churches, becoming part of their identity.
Over the last few he raise eyebrows for announcing they were having a “Blacks Only worship service” where no white members were allowed in, so the “black fold” could have a “safe space” to “heal,” for blasting white Christians for having no discernment and not caring about black people.
