I feel like I am having a delightful Screwtape with the Old Pharisee wine kind of moment with it comes to the happenings in New Orleans. What is this I see? What is this delicious bouquet I inhale? Can it be? Against the wishes of their preening leadership the messengers have both booted out Rick Warren booted another church with a sexual predator pastor and amended the Baptist Constitution to clarify no lady-pastors, flat out, not now, not ever!
This victory is only slightly diminished by the re-election of Bart Barber who somehow oozed his way into a second term as President. But as I have said before, and certainly in the current climate the Presidency is mostly worthless.
So let us enjoy the victory lap, perhaps indulge in a second. And now on to the real work. As I wrote previously the only way to keep from being hypocritical is to start work on 2024 and what other churches need to either fall in line or be shown the door. The ousting of Saddleback should be a shot across the bow, a warning to the churches. Another thing to gear up for is what needs to be done to oust the executive committee and replace them. Clearly they are out of step with the actual Southern Baptists. Having tried and failed to meddle in the votes, lecture and shame those poor cornpones who read the plain text without all that negating context they can provide. It is time for new leadership. Or as Pastor Mike Stone put it, “Southern Baptists have spoken much more clearly than our leadership committees. That is why this clarifying amendment is so important for our future practice.”
But really, we should aim out sights on Furtick. And we need to make sure we don’t miss.
Further Reading
Breaking: SBC Decisively Approves Law Amendment, Restores Male-Only Pastorship
Southern Reformed Smoker 