It would be funny if it weren’t so sad. The Southern Baptist Convention – no relation to our American Baptist churches is getting ready to expel as many as 170 churches from its one true way to salvation. In 2000, the SBC declared that “the office of pastor is limited to men qualified by Scripture.”
Following Tertullian and Ambrose, two great misogynists of the 3rd and 4th centuries, the SBC justified its decision by blaming original sin on the first woman. The battle over women pastors will be the major issue at this year’s annual meeting in June. This past February, Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church was deemed not to be in “friendly cooperation” and ejected.
The SBC has already placed itself with the theological troglodytes by its interpretation of biblical inerrancy. Railing against what it sees as the liberal drift of modern society, it still has not seriously addressed the questions of sexual abuse by its own pastors, “men qualified by Scripture.” Sad, really sad.
Prayer for the Day
Searching for the light, O God, often we find only the shadows,
Failing to do the good we mean to do we acquiesce to evil.
Knowing we fall short of our goals and your promise,
We come to you in contrition and ask forgiveness.
Move us from hopelessness to determination
So we live life more fully as you intended.
In the name of the One who came to bring us new life
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
I need to stand up for the pastors who are scared to death by this inquisition, and I think I need to stand up for the millions of godly Southern Baptist women whose gifts and leadership skills are being stymied
- Rick Warren, at SBC annual meeting June 12, 2022
We were in the middle of the biggest sexual abuse scandal that has ever hit our denomination. And suddenly, the most important thing to talk about was whether or not a woman could stand at the pulpit and give a message.
- Beth Moore, religious writer, on why she left the SBC
“But go and tell my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord.” And she told them the things he had said to her.
John 20: 17-18