Women and Leadership in SBC Churches, Part 2

“But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint. It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.”
1 Timothy 2:12-3.1

Baptist churches, associations, and general bodies have adopted confessions of faith as a witness to the world, and as instruments of doctrinal accountability. (Author’s Italics) We are not embarrassed to state before the world that these are doctrines we hold precious and as essential to the Baptist tradition of faith and practice. (From the motion at the 1999 Southern Baptist Convention motion to appoint a blue ribbon committee to review the Baptist Faith and Message.)

Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes. In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Its scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture. (From the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message, Article VI, The Church)

Does a church have the “right” to call a woman as pastor? Many Christian denominations have answered the question in the affirmative. Historically, Baptists, and Southern Baptists in particular, have answered in the negative. The decision by the Surry Association in North Carolina to expel Flat Rock Baptist Church from its fellowship, based on the church’s decision to call a woman as pastor, shows this issue remains, to some degree, unresolved. For the larger Southern Baptist family, most believe such a decision is neither biblically nor theologically sound. Obviously, not all Southern Baptists agree.

In the modern era, much of what Scripture has to say about male and female roles is controversial for many contemporary thinkers. Many women chafe at the role of the wife as found in Ephesians 5. The verse from 1 Timothy cited above is equally troubling. Many view these statements as culturally bound: they were based on first-century understandings of men, women, marriage and the family. On the other hand, those who hold a more conservative view of the inspiration of Scripture reject out of hand such an argument. We do not believe the Spirit of God was affirming a first-century view of men, women, marriage and the family when he directed Paul to write the letter to Timothy.

Further, one must ask the question, what is a Baptist? Are we, as a confessional community, defined by theological distinctives, or, are we not? Is our claim to fame merely our emphasis on baptism by immersion, or, do we have other beliefs marking us a believing body? We rightly expect those who profess to be Baptist to operate within the scope of Baptist doctrine. In our understanding of our doctrinal distinctives, we look to both our history as Baptists and the positions outlined by general bodies. Our historical beliefs and the doctrinal positions our general bodies have clarified, to be legitimate, must be biblically-based.

Historically, Baptists have had to rethink and redefine some of our doctrinal positions. Most notable among these is how we have thought and acted with regard to race. We have been wrong in the past, but have sought to correct our errors and be more biblical in our approach to race. Currently, we face the issue of homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Would a church be excluded from membership in an association if it chose to bless same-sex unions? One would hope so. Scripture leaves no “wiggle-room” on the issue of homosexuality or marriage and the family.

Some churches might claim the “right” to bless homosexual unions. One would be justified in arguing a church does not have such a right. Not all decisions we make are within the bounds of what we have a “right” to do as bodies of believers. We might exercise the freedom to act in some ways, but acting in freedom does not mean we have a right to act. As Baptists, like it or not, we have chosen to reject some things as biblically legitimate. When a person elects to become a part of a Baptist church, he has chosen to place himself under the authority of that church and the doctrinal positions held by that congregation. When a church elects to become a part of an association or general body of Baptists, that church has chosen to accept and abide by the doctrinal positions affirmed by those bodies.

One cannot be a Baptist and believe anything. One is not a Baptist just because he has been immersed in a baptismal pool, lake or river. Being a Baptist is much more comprehensive. Being a Baptist means the acceptance of traditional (yes, traditional) Baptist doctrines. We Baptists have refused, for the most part, to resist the revisionist views of some contemporary Christian groups. We have held tenaciously to our historic Baptist faith. We have been correct.