The Purge of Women as Pastors in the SBC
I just listened to Albert Mohler’s video about why the SBC needs to move an amendment to prohibit the application of the title "pastor" to any woman for any ministry in a Southern Baptist Church.
Mohler said his proposed amendment “would make clear that a cooperating Southern Baptist church does not act to affirm, appoint, or endorse a woman serving in the office or function of a pastor, elder, overseer, such as preaching to the assembled congregation.”
Mohler goes so far as to say, “This is a pivotal action at a critical time that promises to produce good fruit for years to come.”
Also, Mohler recently answered a Q&A on whether a woman on staff at a church can discuss her church’s sermon on a podcast. He said, “If she is functioning as a pastor, then she is assuming the role of a pastor, and I think that’s what’s implied here. And yes, I do see that as a problem.”
🎙️Some terrific Bible and Theology podcasts led by women that I recommend🎧
The Whole Disciple Podcast with Dr. Christy Thornton
The Alabaster Jar Podcast with Dr. Lynn Cohick
The Back Porch Theology Podcast with Dr. Lisa Harper and Allison Allen
The great women scholars at On Script or Two Cities
Look, I’m not looking to pick fights with SBC peeps, but I am concerned, as I have benefited from the ministry of many SBC men and women, I genuinely esteem and value the good work that many SBC churches and institutions do, and I know a lot of women in the SBC who have voiced alarm over this proposal.
I say in all fairness, when it comes to complementarians and women in ministry, I disagree, but I understand. I see where you’re coming from, as I once held such a view myself.
However, on this issue, “No women in any role can be called a ‘pastor,’” I just do not get it; it is needless, as it is baffling.
(1) Out of all the issues facing the SBC, America, and the world, why is this one receiving so much oxygen? Barbarians are at the gates and the # 1 concern of parts of the SBC is to strip women of certain ministry titles.
(2) The proposal assumes that pastor and patriarch are equivalents, which removes women from the pastoral ministries of their churches.
Remember, “pastor” does not mean “el jeffe,” “Grand Mufi,” or “CEO,” it means “shepherd,” and there are a variety of shepherding roles in the church.
There are assistant/associate pastors, youth pastors, worship pastors, family discipleship pastors, pastoral care leaders, pastors for those with special needs and disabilities, and many of these pastoral roles are filled by women.
It does not speak to the value of women in their ministries if a male youth leader is called “youth pastor,” while a female youth leader doing the very same job at the same church is called “youth minister.” Different titles for the same job imply not only inequality but a lessening of the role and a diminishing of its significance when performed by women.
It’s like saying, “A nice lady changed the spark plugs in my car, fixed the fuel injection system, and put in new brake pads, but I’m not allowed to call her a ‘mechanic’ because the owner of the shop said, ‘only men can be called mechanics, women have to be addressed as vehicle repair specialists.’”
How does anyone say that with a straight face, knowing that it is as absurd as it sounds?
The movers of this amendment are requiring people to deny the reality in their faces that women contribute richly and meaningfully to the pastoral care and pastoral ministries in their churches.
(3) No other complementarian churches and denominations are taking this position.
Whether that is Sydney Anglicans in Australia or the FIEC in the UK, none of them are making videos claiming that banning women from the title of “pastor” is among the greatest needs of our generation.
Why is nobody else IN THE WORLD saying that this is the line in the sand that must be drawn?
It is not American exceptionalism, it is American conservative religious eccentricity!
(4) I think there is a lot of group psychology going on here.
One thing I’ve noticed about SBC life is that the upper echelons of leadership have a pathological fear of not being the most conservative person in the room. So leaders must constantly push further and deeper into increasingly restrictive positions on many topics in order to maintain the existence of a live threat and to demonstrate the legitimacy of their conservative bona fides. Sometimes, when I hear about SBC politics, I don’t know whether I’m reading about Mohler’s “conservative resurgence” or Mao’s “cultural revolution,” because the social dynamics of denounce and purge, then purge anyone who objects to the purging, are strikingly familiar.
(5) To be cynical, this amendment does not really have anything to do with Baptist polity about the independence of each congregation to call and address its ministers however it so chooses.
I’ve been a Baptist and Baptists believe that their congregations have the right to call their own ministers and assign them any title they like, whether “Youth Pastor” or “Snoop Pope Mamma.”
In fact, some 25 years ago, Al Mohler was quoted as saying:
“We would never presume to tell another church whom they may call as a pastor or tell another person whether or not they may serve as pastor.”
-R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY, and a member of the BFM study committee.
Make of that what you will, but theological duplicity seems to be the pathway to SBC supremacy.
The proposed amendment looks like a move designed specifically to associate male-ness with power and women with submission to male power.
I know some SBC lads will tell Aussie Anglican Egalitarian Mike to stay in his lane and keep his opinion out of their business.
Well, thank God for the First Amendment, freedom of speech and freedom of religion, and freedom of speech about religion. #GodblessAmerica
Otherwise, I do inadvertedly get drawn into the pain of women in the SBC, not by looking for it, it just happens.
Listen up, I routinely get emails from SBC women - often studying at SBC seminaries - telling me of the heartbreak they feel when they are constantly devalued, put in a corner, or told to shut up. It’s sad because these women love the churches they were raised in, where they have family and friends. But they tell me that they feel like they are treated with suspicion and are more maligned than valued. Then, they ask me for general advice about what to do, or pose questions about life and ministry in the Anglican world.
Sometimes I get one email every six months, sometimes I get four emails a month, but they arrive with alarming consistency as the best and brightest of SBC women write to me (for some reason!) and tell me that they feel driven out simply for the crime of being gifted - what I call, “Beth Moore Syndrome.”
Last Sunday was Pentecost Sunday, the day when we celebrate that the Holy Spirit was poured out on men and women to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and build his church. May my SBC friends remember and celebrate that event!
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Also, if you want an alternative perspective, then I’ve recently had the pleasure of contributing a study of 1 Timothy 2:11-15 to a fantastic collection of essays about God’s call to women in ministry. Coming SOON!
Is the message of the Bible good news for women? Does God say “no” to women who desire to use their gifts to serve the church? What is the Bible’s vision of true partnership between men and women?
This book is about the wonderful news that followers of Jesus are one in Christ, in their differences as women and men. It outlines the biblical pattern of serving together for the good of God’s people.
The message of the Bible is good news for women, good news for the church, and ultimately good news for us all.
There seems to be some confusion within the SBC between complementarianism and misogyny. Sadly, the syncretism between the MAGA movement and some expressions of conservative Christianity is producing a malignant fundamentalism that lacks both humility and grace. Considering the SBC's recent mishandling of sexual abuse claims, the timing of this proposal seems especially callous. May the Holy Spirit break the hearts and open the minds of those who feel the urge to further demean and alienate our sisters in ministry.
Mike, did you mean to say:
“Last Sunday was Pentecost Sunday, the day when we celebrate that the Holy Spirit was poured out on men and men to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and build his church. May my SBC friends remember and celebrate that event!”
Did I miss the satire here? Or did you mean “…poured out on MEN AND WOMEN…?” I’m thinking (and hoping) the latter. 😳