Indianapolis| The main reason about 10,000 people are traveling to Indianapolis for the Southern Baptist Convention won’t happen until Wednesday morning. The vote on the “Law Amendment” to the SBC constitution preventing women from serving of pastors “of any kind” is expected to come in part two of the SBC Executive Committee report, on day two of the annual meeting.
The second vote on the constitutional amendment, named for the California pastor who proposed it, Mike Law, has proven to be the more controversial action expected at the convention, although three major reports on SBC mission and structure and a six-way presidential race make it a busy and significant year for denominational business.
The ballot on the male-only pastors amendment will be by paper, outgoing SBC President Bart Barber said, while speaking in Springfield two months ago, in contrast to the first vote last year. That voice vote was estimated to show 80% in favor of the amendment.
In the year since, Barber and a number of leaders have come out against the amendment, most not because they favor women in pastoral roles, but because changing the constitution could have unexpected effects on the relationship between churches and rhe denomination.
Past SBC President J.D. Greear posted his opposition to the Law amendment on Thursday. “It overturns a system that works. I don’t oppose the Law Amendment because I’m a closet moderate or soft on theological issues. I am concerned that the missional, cooperative balance that has characterized our Convention since the Conservative Resurgence is about to be overturned.”
Greear’s stated concern is the possible loss of ethnic churches, where women are more likely to hold associate ministry roles using the title pastor.
Incoming SBC Executive Committee President and CEO Jeff Iorg, engaged in his first EC meeting Monday morning in Indianapolis, published a lengthy treatise in his first week in office in mid-May saying a constitutional amendment was unnecessary. He expressed concerned that defining “friendly cooperation” in that way would set up extensive and lengthy processes to dismiss churches that might use the title “pastor” for associate roles.
Other leaders have continued the campaign for the Law amendment, among them Southern Seminary President Albert Mohler.
And last week, pastor of First Baptist Church Jacksonville, Florida, Heath Lambert, who has become widely known for his podcast, posted his support for the amendment.
“It is this simple,” Lambert wrote. “The Law Amendment has been placed before Southern Baptists. The question the amendment asks is whether we agree with Scripture that the office of pastor is reserved for men. Brothers and sisters, the clear answer—the only answer—is yes. Simple faithfulness demands our agreement with Scripture.” Lambert was quoted in a feature article at Christian Post on Monday.
Of the six SBC presidential candidates, three are for the Law amendment, and three are opposed.
Midwest and other factors
Over the past year, the impact of amending the SBC Constitution to address a stipulation that many contend is adequately covered in the Baptist Faith and Message (2000)—which was itself amended on the point of male-only pastors in rapid order in New Orleans last year—has been widely debated. The question is whether messengers who delivered an 80% majority at the same time they voted to uphold dismissal of Saddleback Community Church and others for having female lead pastors will consider the existing measures which allowed those dismissals to be adequate.
Meeting in the Midwest may be a factor in the outcome. While the numbers registering to attend the Indianapolis annual meeting rose rapidly in May, conventions held outside the deep South often have a different flavor because of the increased attendance of non-Southern Southern Baptists. At the weekend before the convention began, 338 guests and 62 guests from Illinois had signed up for the event in neighboring Indiana.
A reception for Illinoisans is set for Monday night, 8 – 9:30 p.m. at the Indiana Convention Center, between the final session of the Pastor’s Conference and a debate of SBC presidential candidates, planned just a week ago.