Since the 1880s, Southern Baptists Have Argued Over the Role of Women
Since 2000, official Southern Baptist doctrine limits the role of pastor to men. But that doctrine had never been enforced at the national level until recently.
Technical Foul for Biblical Interpretation
This issue of A Public Witness will coach you up about a recent controversy regarding women in ministry at Saddleback Church and then consider how moments like that are connected to the same way of reading the Bible that got the whistle blown at Texas
Saddleback Church Doubles Down on Support for Female Pastors
The woman pastor at the center of the SBC’s decision to oust Saddleback Church — the California megachurch founded by pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren — says she will continue to serve as a ministry leader despite her longstanding ties to the nation’s largest
How Did Saddleback Get Kicked Out of the SBC? It’s Complicated.
The issue of who gets to be a Southern Baptist made international headlines last week after the denomination’s Executive Committee voted to oust one of the nation’s largest and best-known churches for having a woman preaching pastor.
Saddleback Church Deemed “Not in Friendly Cooperation” With SBC
The SBC Executive Committee has deemed Saddleback Church as “not in friendly cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention.” The move comes less than a year after founding pastor Rick Warren left and was replaced by pastors Andy and Stacie Wood.
Todd Benkert Leaves SBC Abuse Task Force After Conflict Over Pastor’s Restoration
An Indiana Baptist pastor, Benkert played a key role in setting up an investigation into how SBC leaders have responded to the issue of abuse. He also reported a church that had platformed former SBC President Johnny Hunt, who has been credibly accused of sexual
Crawford Resigns as Maryland-Delaware Exec After ‘Marital Indiscretions’
In a letter sent Friday to the churches of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, president Glenn Swanson announced that state executive director Michael Crawford had resigned from the position effective immediately.
Trial Date Set for Case Involving Patterson, SWBTS
A court date has been set for a trial involving former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Paige Patterson, the school, and an alleged sexual abuse survivor. A former SWBTS student filed suit against them in March 2019 alleging negligence, violation of privacy, and liability.
Dispute Over Abuse Hotline Reveals How Far the SBC Still Has To Go
For years, Southern Baptist Convention leaders refused to listen to abuse survivors, ignoring their concerns and labeling them as enemies of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. One of the first steps toward changing was setting up a confidential hotline.
SBC President Bart Barber Says Predecessor Johnny Hunt Is Unfit to Return to Ministry
“I would permanently ‘defrock’ Johnny Hunt if I had the authority to do so,” Bart Barber, sitting president of the Southern Baptist Convention, said in a statement released Tuesday. Hunt, who served as president of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination from 2008 to 2010, stepped aside