{"id":2187,"date":"2024-06-17T15:41:40","date_gmt":"2024-06-17T19:41:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/latestnews\/?p=2187"},"modified":"2024-06-17T15:41:40","modified_gmt":"2024-06-17T19:41:40","slug":"amendment-vote-abuse-reform-top-sbc-annual-meeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/latestnews\/2024\/06\/17\/amendment-vote-abuse-reform-top-sbc-annual-meeting\/","title":{"rendered":"Amendment Vote, Abuse Reform Top SBC Annual Meeting"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"SBC
The SBC recently met in Indianapolis for their 2024 meeting. File photo image courtesy of Sonya Singh, Baptist Press<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Vote Fails, Reform Hits Roadblocks<\/h2>\n

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is “as complementarian as before” a vote to constitutionally ban female pastors failed, says new SBC president Clint Pressley. The vote, which narrowly missed approval, came earlier this week at the SBC’s 2024 annual meeting.<\/p>\n

Pressley also expressed confidence that the task force on sexual abuse reform is moving the SBC forward. “I think you can be really confident as you’ve seen in the last couple of years that the Southern Baptist Convention takes sexual abuse terribly seriously….” he told delegates to the meeting. Yet, there are roadblocks.<\/p>\n

“As Complementarian As Before”<\/h3>\n

In a news conference following the meeting Wednesday, Pressley argued that the SBC is “just as complementarian as before that vote ever came into play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Complementarianism is the belief that God gives men and women complementary roles in the home and church and only men may hold leadership positions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe constitutional amendment, which is known as the Law Amendment, was there to provide some clarity,\u201d Pressley explained. \u201cBut it\u2019s not necessary for our convention of churches to maintain a real sense of complementarianism\u2026. We have not abandoned biblical truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sixty-one percent of delegates to the SBC annual meeting in Indianapolis voted in favor of the amendment. A two-thirds majority was needed. The decision is seen as a victory for local church autonomy.<\/p>\n

An Unnecessary Vote?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Voting on another issue seemed to prove Pressley\u2019s point about the constitutional amendment being unnecessary. The vote to oust First Baptist Church in Alexandria, VA, for having a female pastor on its staff passed with a 91 percent majority. The church\u2019s female pastor holds the title \u201cPastor of Women and Children.\u201d<\/p>\n

The SBC has expelled several churches for ignoring the SBC\u2019s unofficial ban on female pastors. Among them are the Saddleback Church in southern California and Fern Creek Baptist Church in Kentucky. Both churches were forced out in 2023 and unsuccessfully appealed the decisions.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the\u00a0Nashville Tennessean<\/a><\/em>\u00a0pointed out in an opinion piece that \u201cBaptist women who feel God\u2019s call to serve in ministry as missionaries or pastors have the opportunities to do so thanks to Cooperative Baptists, Texas Baptists, Virginia Baptists, American Baptists, Baptist Women in Ministry, thousands of moderate Baptist churches America, and the highest-ranked Baptist university in the world (Baylor).\u201d<\/p>\n

Meredith Stone, executive director of the nonprofit Baptist Women in Ministry, expressed her organization\u2019s regret that the vote on amending SBC\u2019s constitution even took place. \u201cWomen in ministry were used as props for the display of extreme conservatism in order to advance the power of a faction within the SBC,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

USA Today<\/em> noted that the narrow vote settled \u201ca two-year political dispute about church policy, though it might not subdue the ensuing debate about women\u2019s roles in the church.\u201d The story added that passage of the amendment might have resulted in additional churches leaving the SBC.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe proposed amendment was by far the most animating issue headed into this year\u2019s SBC annual meeting, one that even colored other decision-making \u2013 including the election for SBC president,\u201d the media outlet said.<\/p>\n

The New SBC President<\/strong><\/h3>\n

New SBC president Clint Pressley, pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC, was one of six candidates for the SBC presidency this year.<\/p>\n

Seminary pastor David Allen missed the first-round cutoff and three candidates \u2013 Tennessee pastor Jared Moore, Oklahoma pastor Mike Keahbone and North Carolina pastor Bruce Frank — were eliminated in the first round of voting. Pressley received 56 percent of the 7,562 votes, while Tennessee pastor Dan Spencer received 43.7 percent in the deciding vote.<\/p>\n

Pressley is a conservative who promised to keep the organization on an even keel prior to his election. He noted that the rhetoric and temperature within the SBC are high and should \u201ccome down a good bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also said he wanted to do the following:<\/p>\n