SBC

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.

Your Sin Will Find You Out

I’ve been a Southern Baptist for my entire life. I grew up in Southern Baptist Churches, went to Southern Baptist schools, and pastor a Southern Baptist Church. By doctrine and conviction, I am a Southern Baptist. And I am broken and angry.

Sunday afternoon, May 22, the Sexual Abuse Task Force posted the Guidepost Solution’s Investigation into the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee and its handling of sexual abuse allegations. It is a devastating read. The headlines of the report are being published on mainline news sites.

But as devastating as it is to read about dismissing victims, cover ups, dishonesty, immorality, and the like, I can’t even begin to imagine how devastating the abuse was for the victims detailed in the report. No one should be sexually abused. Ever. And it most certainly should never come from someone claiming to be a Christian or someone who is a pastor or church leader. When victims are shamed, dismissed, and dishonored to protect perpetrators, it only adds to the sin.

At last year’s SBC annual meeting, the messengers spoke loudly that they wanted an investigation into allegations that denominational leaders had mishandled allegations of sexual abuse. This report details those findings. The sober reality facing our denomination is that you cannot hide from God.

In Numbers 32, two and a half of Israel’s tribes asked to be able to settle on the not-Promised Land side of the Jordan. Moses told them that they could settle there, but that their men/warriors must travel with their brothers into the land to help them inhabit the Promised Land. Here is what he told them:

But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out. 

Numbers 32:23

This text suggests a fascinating contrast. Israel was about to inhabit the Promised Land. They were finally at their place of refuge and redemption. God had rescued them from Egypt and judged them through 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. Yet even in his judgment, he sustained them with food and protection for 40 years. Then on the precipice of fulfillment, a few tribes wanted their land early. The warning, fulfill your obligation to your brothers or “be sure your sin will find you out.”

This is where we are as a denomination. God has accomplished many good and redemptive realities through SBC churches, missionaries, and seminaries. God’s redemptive work uses even fallen men and women.

Yet our sin has found us out.

Maybe like me, you have tried to hide some sin. And like me, God uncovered that sin.

Our denominational leaders who were more concerned about liability than truth cannot hide from God. It has been uncovered.

Those who have perpetrated abuse cannot hide from God. Some were uncovered in this report. Too many more will not face justice in this life. But none can hide their sin from God. It will be uncovered.

Southern Baptists should be angry after this report. Most of us are not guilty of abuse or cover up or dismissing victims. Rank and file Southern Baptists just want our denominational leaders to act with integrity and justice. We should be angry that our polity was used to excuse acting with compassion and justice. Every dollar given by Southern Baptist Churches has been funneled through an entity entrusted with the stewardship of money and mission for the sake of the gospel. But those entrusted with these offerings have damaged that trust. Opting for personal and institutional protection, they neglected the abused and the broken.

I’m not sure about what will happen next. The Guidepost report recommends specific actions that the messengers can take. We will see at the annual meeting on June 14 and 15.

What do we do going forward?

  • We confess. Part of the reason so many of us are angry is that our cooperative giving through the entity of the Executive Committee connects us to this report. It is appropriate then that we confess the coverup and dishonesty that is present among denominational leadership.
  • We pray. We pray for the victims. We pray for the abusers. We pray for denominational leaders. We pray for the messengers in Anaheim who will meet and act on the recommendations brought to the floor.
  • We act. It is our obligation as a church to care for the abused and broken. Churches should be safe havens for the hurting, not for predators. Churches must take care through policies and procedures to protect those who attend and make it difficult for abusers to use our churches for their sins. I believe the messengers got it right last year asking for an investigation. It will be important that the messengers act again this year with a path forward holding our entities accountable for how they handle these issues.

Photo by Joshua Brown on Unsplash