Southern Baptists, IVF, & Women Pastors…What Really Happened in Indianapolis
NOTE: This article has been updated. I mistakenly referred to the "Law Amendment" as proposing a change to the Baptist Faith & Message. It was not for that purpose. The amendment was an intended addition to the SBC Constitution.
“I am really upset at Southern Baptists!”
Every year about this time, I hear this statement.
The annual meeting of our Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) was held in Indianapolis last week. Once the final gavel hit on Wednesday afternoon, the convention hall emptied, and the city geared up for the next big event. However, prior to the final vote, news agencies were racing to tell readers what the Southern Baptists had done.
It would seem in what many now categorize as the post-Christian era of America, the details of a denominational business meeting would not be of interest to the public. Yet, each year, hot buttons are hit, and headlines are made.
The SBC annual meeting can be simultaneously spiritually encouraging, philosophically challenging, and helpful for many. However, it is true that some experience anything but, for various reasons.
There are certainly things we, as Southern Baptists have done or said in years past that are worthy of causing frustration. I doubt that will change in the future.
Two particular issues seem to be driving the collective “frustration” this year (the NAMB Indy car notwithstanding. BTW – it did not upset me and my grandkids and staff love the smaller versions I brought home.)
Ethical Realities of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
One of the issues this year centers around a resolution regarding IVF. It should be noted that Southern Baptist resolutions are not binding statements. They are simply statements of belief agreed upon by the majority of messengers at a particular convention. Should the SBC continue to present resolutions? That’s up for debate. Perhaps a resolution on not having resolutions is in order, but then it would not be binding. Nevertheless, the messengers this year voted to approve a resolution related to IVF and the ethics of reproductive science. Many now sharing loudly their frustrations are basing their anger on headlines, social media posts, and quotes from individual messengers regarding the resolution. I actually wrote about what I deemed a coming IVF discussion among pro-life evangelicals a few months ago and voted in affirmation of this year’s resolution. I encourage you to read my previous article here and to read the actual wording of the resolution here (pages 14-15.) You will discover that what is being said regarding Southern Baptists and IVF is not actually what was approved.
Women Pastors
While the first issue was a resolution, the second was a proposed amendment to the SBC Constitution. The amendment has been called the “Law Amendment” named after the messenger, Pastor Mike Law, who initially proposed it at the 2023 annual meeting. The amendment was approved in 2023, but SBC bylaws state that in order to amend these Constitution, messengers must approve with two-thirds majority at two annual meetings in a row. Thus, the amendment was up for the second and final vote this year.
The amendment was meant to clarify our denomination’s complementarian stance, as stated in scripture and affirmed in Article VI of our Baptist Faith & Message(2000) that the office of pastor/elder/overseer is reserved for men only. While other denominations have shifted to a more egalitarian stance for the office, Southern Baptists have historically held to the male-only pastorate.
The amendment to the SBC Constitution was intended to better clarify the distinction and to address those churches who use the term “pastor” for women in leadership positions other than senior pastor (e.g. Children’s Pastor, Youth Pastor, Women’s Pastor, etc.) The wording was intended to better clarify churches deemed in friendly cooperation as those that affirm, appoint, or employ only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture.
For some, this seems to simply be a nomenclature issue.
For others, it is much deeper than a battle over titles. It is about biblical fidelity. This may be due to our current cultural battles over sex and gender identities, not to mention the pronoun wars among those churches who once comprised solidly biblical Protestant denominations.
Perhaps this has more to do with Baptists who historically ignored or minimized pastoral roles and titles while allowing deacons to functionally serve as elders, thus creating confusion among autonomous member churches.
Are there Southern Baptist churches that have ordained women to serve in pastoral offices in the past? Is this contradictory to a complementarian understanding of Scripture? Certainly. In the 2023 and 2024 conventions, three churches were deemed to not be in friendly cooperation (meaning ultimately, they could no longer seat messengers and therefore, not be Southern Baptists) for this reason. The votes to declare these churches as not in friendly cooperation were somber moments and not celebratory (at least for most messengers) but were overwhelmingly affirmative.
So, what happened in Indianapolis? The vote to approve the Law Amendment received 61 percent of the vote. However, that did not meet the two-thirds threshold required. Thus, it was not added to the SBC Constitution. I voted to add the amendment, but also understand why many did not. Certainly, there remain conversations about what will happen next. While some are gearing up for the next denominational battle, I geared up for Vacation Bible School, and am now planning some student ministry events and working with our pastoral and ministerial staff on the next sermon series, Bible studies, and other things to be calendared, not to mention a wedding in July for a church member. Don’t misunderstand, the issues facing the Southern Baptist Convention are important to me, but as pastor (a male, complementarian, biblically-minded, Baptist pastor) I have been called to serve the Lord and his church here in Orange Park. Thus, this is the priority.
As pastor of those who are part of this autonomous family of believers known as First Baptist Church, I seek to answer the questions that lead to unnecessary frustration among the members.
So, in love, I plead with our church (and with others like-minded believers) to stop building all your reasonings for being “really upset with Southern Baptists” on the headlines you read, the news reports you hear, and the social media posts alone. Believe me, there are enough real things to be frustrated by that allowing anger to grow based on soundbites and half-truths is little more than a fool’s game. Remember, no headline has ever been developed (even the one to this blog post) with the goal of being ignored. So don’t be played.
Some are upset that Southern Baptists do not affirm churches ordaining women as pastors. I get that. I know women who serve in the pastoral role of other churches (not Southern Baptist.) They know I disagree with their church’s interpretation on this issue. They disagree with mine. We actually are not angry with each other. Amazing.
I have heard some who are life-long Southern Baptists who agree with the complementarian stance we have held for decades. Yet, they are actually believing that things have changed for Southern Baptists based on what they have heard from “expert sources.” The truth is nothing has changed regarding our doctrine and statement of faith. We hold to the exact same Baptist Faith & Message that was revised and affirmed in 2000. Thus, Article VI remains the same, complementary, male-pastor/elder/overseer statement that was cited in the votes to determine churches to not be in friendly cooperation. The SBC Constitution remains the same and was effective in removing. churches from friendly cooperation for such reason.
There are certainly valid reasons to be upset at Southern Baptists. I know there are valid reasons to be upset at this Southern Baptist. Imperfect people will always say, do, and think things that do not honor God. I’m more thankful for his grace each day.
I just want to encourage those who are upset to stop getting the fuel for their frustration fire from sources with no skin in the game.
Oh, and regarding all that happened at the annual meeting of Southern Baptists this year, look for the stories of international missionaries being commissioned, brothers and sisters in Christ laughing with each other, strong, biblically-sound sermons preached by numerous brothers, testimonies of men and women who have been redeemed, gifts offered to families in need by donors who seek not to be glorified by man, and moments of disagreement between Christians that did not lead people to be disagreeable. I am no SBC apologist, but I just do not believe God is yet finished with his children who comprise our denomination of cooperating, autonomous churches.
