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Some Thoughts on the SBC Annual Meeting 2023

I’m posting my thoughts intentionally several days after attending the SBC Annual Meeting. Taking several days has allowed me to process the events of last week and distill them thoughtfully. For those in the Wilkesboro area, I will be presenting a more detailed report at Wilkesboro Baptist Church on Wednesday evening June 21.

Historic

One of the more noteworthy events (at least as far as the news media is concerned) was the appeal of disfellowshipped churches to the convention messengers. Never before in annual meeting history have disfellowshipped churches appealed directly to the messengers for reinstatement. Those appeals and votes took place during Tuesday’s business session. The three churches that exercised their appeals lost the votes and were not considered in friendly cooperation. Two churches (Saddleback included) were disfellowshipped on grounds that they have women pastors and one church was disfellowshipped on the grounds of knowingly affirming a pastor with a history of abusive and/or immoral behavior. While the moment was historic in the sense of what took place, anytime churches are considered not in friendly cooperation, we should grieve.

Pioneering

One of the greatest aspects of being a Southern Baptist is our cooperative mission efforts. Through combined giving efforts, nearly 3,500 full-time IMB missionaries serve the nations with 79 commissioned this year in New Orleans. But there still remain more than 3,000 unreached and unengaged people groups in our world. Unreached and unengaged are groups (signified by language and culture) who have no access to the gospel. The IMB is recruiting 300 pioneering missionaries who will be making a two year commitment to seek out these unreached groups. Their mission will be to seek, discover, and learn where these unreached groups are in order to strategize mission efforts to these groups. This new initiative is an exciting way for Southern Baptists to be on front of international missions.

Conservative

One of the recent themes at SBC Annual Meetings has been the suggestion that Southern Baptists are drifting liberal theologically. That is just simply not the case. At this year’s annual meeting, the messengers affirmed in a number of ways the commitment to a complementarian view of church leadership. A complementarian view of gender holds that God created men and women uniquely and differently. Husbands are to be the spiritual leaders in their homes (Eph. 5:22-33), and the role and function of pastor is reserved for qualified men (1 Tim. 2:12-14; 3:1-7; 1 Cor. 11:5; 14:33-35). The alternative position of egalitarianism holds that while men and women may be distinct, they can both serve in any role in the church. The primary text that the egalitarian position points to is Galatians 3:28. After this year’s annual meeting, the conservative roots and trajectory of the SBC are evident. Led by theologically conservative presidents, SBC seminaries are training and sending out pastors to lead congregations from a theologically conservative viewpoint.

Tone-Deficient

Southern Baptists are unfortunately notorious for finding issues and topics to disagree about. Part of this is due to the SBC value of local church autonomy. The denomination doesn’t tell local churches how to function. However, this year’s annual meeting seemed hyper-focused on one issue–women as pastors. While I’m pleased with the conservative, complementarian direction (see paragraph above), I was frustrated by the tone-deficient constancy of the focus on women as pastors. With the afore-mentioned disfellowshipping of churches regarding this issue, there was an amendment passed on the issue, an edit made to the Baptist Faith and Message, and resolutions that addressed the topic as well. Being in the room this year felt as if we kept clarifying and restating what we already believe. It’s one thing to be clear and define the parameters of our cooperating relationships (this is what happened in New Orleans), but it is another to restate over and over again the same thing. Personally, I think much of this tone-deficiency could have been avoided with a little better leadership from the committee on order of business and the platform. I am grateful for the heritage of godly female ministry in the SBC (Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong) in my (my mom) and my church involvement (past and current women in ministry in the church).

Cooperative

Being a Southern Baptist means cooperating for the purpose of missions. I lost several of the votes I cast at at the annual meeting. And while there are things that frustrate me regarding our denomination, cooperating for the purpose of mission is worthwhile. SBC President Bart Barber, who was elected for a second term, preached one of the most gracious presidential addresses that I’ve heard at a denominational meeting. He was biblically clear while also reminding the messengers and guests of their need to look for what is lovely and right within our denomination. Cooperation requires a willingness to work together. We may not all think alike, believe alike, or hold certain doctrines as first order or second order doctrines. But we must look for the best in one another, the best in our denomination, and seek the glory of God through the spread of his gospel through our entities. One of our church mission partners, the Pillar Network, provides our church an opportunity to partner and network for cooperative mission goals. While I served as a messenger in New Orleans, Tad Craig, our Associate Pastor of Youth and Education at Wilkesboro Baptist, was leading a team of students and adults working with a Pillar Network (SBC) church to minister to the masses in New York City. When Baptists find ways to cooperate for the purpose of spreading the gospel, we are at our best.

Work in Progress

While we are farther along in implementing abuse reforms, we still have a ways to go. The implementation team rolled out this website to assist churches in protecting the vulnerable in our congregations. We ought to be grateful for the commitment of our denomination to keep working on this issue. Like this issue and our individual lives, our denomination is a work in progress. Until we arrive perfected in heaven, we must remain attuned and vigilant spiritually. As such, here are some prayers for our denomination:

  • That we will remain steadfast theologically and continue to train pastors, missionaries, and theologians for the upbuilding of Christ’s church and the spread of the gospel.
  • That we will develop an attitude of grace, patience, and generosity toward each other. We are too often known for our squabbles and denominational in-fighting.
  • That we will pursue humility and Christ-like gentleness instead of hubris. May we seek only praise for the name of Christ rather than praise for our own names.
  • That we will be faithful and fruitful in finding the unreached peoples of the world and obeying Christ’s commission to make disciples of all nations. Pray especially for the 300 pioneer missionaries the IMB will send out.
  • That we will seek and find points of agreement and cooperation even with those who may hold different theological positions than we do.

Celebration and St. Patrick’s Day

I write and post this on March 17, 2023 which is St. Patrick’s Day. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. For more than 1,000 years the Irish have celebrated this saint bringing Christianity to Ireland. In many ways, people celebrate Irish culture more than they do what motivated Patrick.

Here’s why I post. We become what we celebrate.

Our congregation is a Baptist church. We are not Roman Catholic and do not have patron saints. We have significant differences in our theological formulations than do the Roman Catholics. But just because we don’t agree on everything doesn’t mean that church history is to be ignored or utterly rejected. Christians of all denominations and backgrounds can learn some things from Patrick’s life and witness.

Much of what is remembered regarding St. Patrick is fable and myth—like the claim that he drove all the snakes out of Ireland. But what is certain about Patrick is his influence as a missionary. A Romanized Briton, Patrick was sold as a slave to a cruel Northern Irish master at 16. During his enslavement, he suffered greatly facing abuse and many difficulties. While raised nominally as a Christian, his suffering drove him to deeper faith in God. He escaped slavery after 6 years and boarded a ship to Europe.

Not long after returning to his family in England, God called him to be a missionary in Ireland—the land of his slavery. Though he may not have been the first missionary, Ireland in those days was pagan and wicked. Facing opposition from the druids, Patrick offered these words.

Daily I expect murder, fraud or captivity. But I fear none of these things because of the promises of heaven. I have cast myself into the hands of the God almighty who rules everywhere.

St. Patrick

While not well-educated, Patrick prayed deeply and read the Scripture constantly. He also valued the education he lacked and promoted the copying of much European writings that actually resulted in their survival during the Middle Ages. His life and witness was greatly influential as hundreds of Celtic monks left their homeland to spread the gospel to Scotland, England and Europe. 

I’m not suggesting that we adopt Patrick as a patron saint. But Patrick’s life and ministry do teach us some things worth celebrating. If we become what we celebrate, then what have you celebrated lately? Here are a just a few celebration lessons from Patrick’s history that we can adopt.

  • We can celebrate spiritual development and learning. In his excellent book How the Irish Saved Civilization, Thomas Cahill tells the story of how Patrick’s love of learning and education influenced the copying of ancient texts and kept much learning alive in the Medieval world. In my devotions this morning, I read these verses in Galatians 4:18-19: “It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!” Christ formed in us is the purpose of Christian discipleship (see also Romans 8:29). There is no better way to develop and learn spiritually than to read God’s Word and follow Christ. Take a moment today and celebrate the Bible that you have, the lessons from its pages, and the people who have taught it to you.
  • We can celebrate even in suffering. Patrick’s life was anything but easy. He suffered unjustly as a slave facing cruelty and abuse. Many of us are suffering today physically, spiritually, or emotionally. Some of us have faced unjust or abusive treatment. Patrick did not withdraw into emotional or personal isolation. Rather, his sufferings drove him to God. I’m not suggesting that we celebrate our sufferings. But I am suggesting that we celebrate Jesus who suffered on our behalf, and that we celebrate the God whose suffering through Christ on the cross is our redemption.
  • We can celebrate the work of redemption. Patrick was a missionary. He took the gospel to Ireland, and many became followers of Jesus because of his witness. Who shared the gospel with you? That person, church, Sunday school teacher, parent, grandparent, pastor, missionary, evangelist, friend is worth celebrating. And we must celebrate the salvation of sinners! In the past week, I’ve learned of three people who have put their faith in Christ. One was a gentleman I’ve been talking to recently. He was helped on his journey by several church members. Another was a 6 year old whose grandmother led him to trust in Christ after his many questions about Jesus and eternal life. The third was a gentleman who came to peace with Christ after realizing that the perfection he was striving for had already been attained by Christ. I’m celebrating these who have come to faith in Christ. Will you celebrate with me?

If you don’t wear green or participate in St. Patrick’s day celebrations, that’s ok. But let’s remember to celebrate what God has taught us, how he has helped us through suffering, and how his has redeemed us. If you’re in the Wilkesboro area, join us for worship at Wilkesboro Baptist as we celebrate Jesus this Sunday (8:00 am, 9:30 am, or 11:00 am). If you’re not in our area, make plans to go to church and celebrate this weekend.

My information about Patrick came from this wonderful book 131 Christians Everyone Should Know.

Photo by Artur Kornakov on Unsplash