Indianapolis | “The worst thing about the Southern Baptist Convention is that anyone can walk up to a microphone and say anything they want,” Bart Barber said in his final President’s message. But, he said, it’s also the best thing.
Barber mentioned the “crazy uncle” phenomenon that seems to be unique to the SBC, where some messengers admit they are embarrassed by some actions of the denomination and the way the debate happens on the convention floor.
In a fashion similar to his President’s address last year, prior to the vote on dismissing two churches with women lead pastors, Barber spoke about unity, but did not speak directly about the issues that divide the denomination presently.
“The Southern Baptist Convention does not help Jesus’ reputation one little bit,” Barber said. “We are absolutely a ding on the reputation of Jesus… and so is every other denomination,” he said. “(Jesus) knew we would be an embarrassment,” but he chose to be with us anyway.
Preaching from Romans 15:1-4, Barber urged unity that will require a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. “There’s the unity that is achieved by running off everyone who disagrees with us,” Barber said, “and there’s the unity that’s supernatural,” where God brings people with differing opinions together for the cause of the kingdom.
Barber’s message came at the end of the morning session on day one of the SBC Annual Meeting in Indianapolis. Three reports are scheduled later in the day: on next steps for combatting and tracking sexual abuse, on a study on the doubtful impact of the Great Commission Resurgence which reordered some SBC entity functions a decade ago but was largely ignored or blamed for declining Baptists and giving, and a report on “friendly cooperation,” which is the basis for dismissing churches with female lead pastors or histories of mishandling abuse.
Also scheduled on Tuesday night is the election of Barber’s replacement from among six expected nominees. Barber joked that his election as pastor of a relatively small church proves that anyone can be elected SBC president. “I did not mean that each and every one of you needs to run this year!” he said.
But garnering the most attention—and the most online debate—is the second balloting on the “Law amendment” to the SBC Constitution, which would prohibit women as “pastors of any kind” with the force of the constitution, as well as the Baptist Faith and Message (2000).
Barber spoke against a “prophetic tone” in the current debate, because it is often delivered without compassion. We are not to “build our brother up by tearing him down,” he said.
As for handling three major reports and a multi-ballot election, Barber told messengers to “roll up your sleeves.”
The Texan, who showed up at the Illinois reception Monday night in a Cardinals jersey that was a gift from his April appearance at IBSA, said he cares about our cooperative missional unity, because “when God unifies a body this diverse, there’s something of a miracle about that.”