By Baptist Message staff
ORLANDO, Fla. (LBM) – Messengers voted to move forward an amendment that addresses the office and function of pastor.
If approved next year, the amendment would amend the SBC constitution to “add an enumerated 6th item, under Article 3, Paragraph 1, defining composition. This new language would make clear that a cooperating Southern Baptist church: ‘6. Does not act to affirm, appoint, or endorse a woman serving in the office or function of a pastor/elder/overseer, specifically preaching to the assembled congregation.'”
Al Mohler, a messenger and president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky., proposed the amendment.
The affirmative vote, June 10, on Mohler’s motion cuts one year from the approval process, bringing it to the floor during next year’s SBC Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, Ind., for its second and final vote. The vote was 6,028 to 2,026 – 74.66% to 25.09% – in favor of the amendment.
Mohler said by adopting this amendment, Southern Baptists can move forward on this issue “in unity and in truth.”
“This amendment makes very clear that a church in friendly cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention doesn’t have anyone other than a man as pastor in the office of pastor and specifies on the functions of the pastor, that the key central function of preaching the Word of God to the gathered assembly is limited to men, by scripture,” he said. “Now this means that this amendment speaks directly, and we know what we’re talking about. We’re talking about the pastor of churches, and we’re talking about the preaching of the Word of God, when it comes to the office, comprehensive, when it comes to the function, specified. I have carefully crafted this language.”
“I want us to say, I think we want to say, truths consistent with what Baptists have believed going all the way back to the 17th century,” he continued. “But it’s because we believe those Baptists got it right according to Scripture. This is one of those moments when the Southern Baptist Convention can get it right, state it clearly, we adopt this amendment, we come back next year and happily, cooperatively, do it together, and we stand upon the authority of God’s Word. We stand for truth. Yes, and that truth produces the unity of our convention.
“The words are simple,” he said. “They are straightforward. I believe this is where Southern Baptists stand, and we have come to Orlando by the providence of God to stand here.”
Doug Mize, messenger and pastor with First Baptist Church, Greer, S.C., spoke against the amendment, noting the position of the SBC already was clear. He emphasized that he remains opposed to the SBC churches employing female lead pastors, co-pastors or preachers.
“Let me remind you that we’ve got zero lead (women) pastors, co-pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention at this moment.,” he said. “We’re going to keep voting them out if they if they do, but this is over and beyond the reach that we need to have.
“We’re going to be consistent,” he said. “That’s why this keeps getting voted down year after year. We’ve already said it’s in our Baptist Faith and Message.
“You know, Jesus mentioned that for the leaders of the spiritual Pharisees of that day, that they were tithing their spices, their cumin, but they were neglecting other issues like mercy and justice and faithfulness,” he said. “So let’s not do that, let’s be consistent, let’s not strain out the gnat, swallow a camel.”
Colin Smothers, a messenger and preaching pastor with First Baptist Church, Maize, Kansas, spoke in favor of the amendment.
“This amendment is not complicated,” he said. “The need for it is not complicated. We need to for the SBC Constitution to specify that cooperating churches do not act to affirm, appoint or endorse a woman serving in the office or function of a pastor, elder, overseer, specifically preaching to the assembled congregation.
“That is faithful to Scripture,” he continued. “It is also faithful to the BF&M, which is the doctrinal foundation for our cooperation.
“The culture is attacking gender on all fronts,” he said. “We can hardly turn to the right or the left without finding confusion about gender. 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.”
