Egalitarianism/Complementarianism - our two favorite 50 cent words

Not a lot of deep thinking or tricky exegesis here, just some observations and questions:

Egalitarianism and complementarianism are sterile terms that fail to convey much for either position. They dehumanize women in the same manner that antebellum vocabularly dehumanized a considerable segment of the American populace.

There is no good manner by which Baptist groups (associations, state conventions, or the SBC) can assert their belief in and desire for pure complementarianism and not appear harsh and unfair. Google "Bailey Nelson" and "Surry" for last year's poster situation of the same.

Leading SBC females are almost always wives of prominent pastors or SBC entity leaders. Note, for example, the ABP story about the new LifeWay Women's Evangelical Commentary which features the female spouses of two SBC entity leaders. Plodder would be pleased if readers would submit names of SBC females of prominence who do not fit this profile. Aside from Beth Moore, I cannot think of a single one. Name female members of blue ribbon SBC committees who are not married to pastors or SBC entity leaders.

What is communicated to SBC females by the above? That you will not have great value unless you are espoused to a minister?

Although we officially specify "senior pastor" as limited to men, it is necessary in the application of complementarianism to continually define proper roles. Should women be allowed to read the Bible in worship? Should there be deaconesses? Should they only teach children? To what age? Should they address mixed groups? Should they be "under authority" of a husband? Etc. Etc. ad nasueum.

All the tempered words on complementarianism/egalitarianism are undone by a the regular, if not frequent, intemperate words. Google Andy Davis and FBC Durham.

Quick, name the highest ranking female who is employed by any SBC entity?

Has complementarianism has already passed its high water mark in SBC life?

Will we see, in spite of SBC heavyweights holding conferences, seminars, and publishing materials, a steady erosion of support, first from the pew, later from the pulpit?

We're in for a rough ride with these two fifty-cent terms...and some decry the term "Southern" in our name.

Unity Through Purity

Restoration to doctrinal purity and a renewed sense of unity in the churches of our Association were our goals. Unity must always be one of our highest priorities; but it must never eclipse the priority of doctrinal purity.

The two sentences above come from the document described as “Article Concerning SBA Messengers' Decision Regarding Flat Rock Baptist Church which is found on the Surry Baptist Association website here. The authors are Dr. Joel Stephens, pastor of Westfield Baptist Church and Vice-Moderator of the SBA, and Rev. Jim Richland, associate pastor of Westfield Baptist Church and chairman of the Membership Committee of the SBA.

It's a pretty standard conservative treatment of the matter of women as senior pastors. I wouldn't quibble too much about it - standard, sterile, boilerplate seminary classroom stuff.

Unity through purity.  Work with me here, brethren: An antidote to doctrinal miscegenation?

I know the intent. There are things we must share in order to be grouped together in associations, state conventions, and the SBC. I don't argue that Surry can draw their lines anywhere they doggone well please. I just wouldn't vote to draw it as they have.

Of the list of requirements for overseer in 1 Timothy 3, referenced in the document linked above, at least half a dozen are always, always, violated by some pastors of some churches in every association I have ever been around. There's not an association in the SBC, anywhere, that this very day does not have at least one "quarrelsome" pastor in it. So, they get a pass? And you wouldn't have to look hard to find a pastor who is a "lover of money." Greedy with impunity?  Guess so.

Which doctrinaire associational officer, which membership committee in pursuit of purity will lead the charge to excise quarrelsome and greedy pastors from among us? Sixteen days, the length of time it took to get rid of the church which called a pastor with long blonde hair and lipstick along with her seminary degree, is too long for any quarrelsome pastor in an association.

Consider the thinking here: The association claims grave harm by one of its churches which called a female pastor. The offending church has damaged the unity in the association. The happy Baptist ship of Surry has been rocked.

The association as victim.

Plodder is not there yet. I can't see the poor pastors in the association and the unfortunate DOM wrapping themselves in the mantle of victimhood - the Woefully Beleaguered Majority.

One might reasonably conclude that the more damaged party is the church and their new pastor. Bailey Edwards Nelson shows up for her first Sunday at Flat Rock Baptist Church and that very week the church is notified that associational expulsion action is pending. There's your victim.

Consider more of the thinking here, words of the Dr. and Rev. named above:

Sadly, those in leadership at Flat Rock Baptist Church have chosen a different path. As you may have heard, the Surry Baptist Association‟s Membership Committee invited the leadership of Flat Rock to meet to discuss this situation. Flat Rock refused their invitation and thereby closed the door on any reconciliation with the Association. For that reason, a motion was presented to the messengers of the Surry Baptist Association last Monday to withdraw the SBA‟s affiliation with Flat Rock Baptist Church. The motion passed by a very large majority.

‘We-hate-it-but-they-forced-us-to-do-it’ Got it. “We hate it…we didn’t want to do it…they made us do it.” What’s next, “This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you.”

What’s that hollow ring I’m hearing?

Nonetheless, the deed is done, done badly perhaps, but done.

So, when can we hear from the estimated 20% from that associational meeting who voted against the expulsion of the church?

No, I wouldn't vote to kick a church with a woman pastor out

Flat Rock Baptist Church in Mount Airy North Carolina was quickly and summarily expelled from the Surry Baptist Association the other day according to this APB story from last week. Seems the church had done the unusual, the unthinkable, the unpardonable - they called a female pastor, Bailey Edwards Nelson, pictured at left here.

Tony Cartlege calls it 'courageous, the association calls their kicking out action was an attempt to facilitate "restoration to doctrinal purity and a renewed sense of unity." You bet.

"Unity through purity",the associational mission statement?

Sounds rather foreboding.

The association's response may be read here. It is a rather sterile treatment of the matter which concludes that they did the right thing but that folks should be nice to the new pastor and pray for her. Her what? Success? Souls saved?  Her church to grow? Oh, pray for her to repent and disappear from Surry Associaion. 

Fellow SBC blogger Howell Scott has a good piece on the matter here. Scott takes the association to task for being hasty in this action. The fellow churches took all of two weeks to kick the church out, not much of a honeymoon. Guess time was of the essence for the brethren. I mean, she might have preached a pretty good sermon, led someone to Christ, or (gasp!) even baptized a new believer. You bet, get that church out of the association before anything like that can happen. They did.

I've been in a number of associations and understand that this is a pastor-driven business and sometimes the pastors smell blood and get in a feeding frenzy and act with haste. This is such a case.  Dare I call it a lynch mob mentality? Naw, not the men of the cloth in that association - fine, upstanding, erudite, scholarly gentlemen.

Well, I read that the vote to expel the wayward church and pastor was 80%. Perhaps some of the 20% will speak up. 

I understand that associations are autonomous and may expel churches with female pastors or left handed pastors, whatever they decide among themselves. No one tells a Baptist association what to do, sometimes not even Jesus...but I wish Jesus had been consulted at greater length on this matter. It looks bad for everyone.

No, a woman pastor is not my thing. But no, I wouldn't have voted to kick the church out. Yes, I would have treated the new pastor just like I have treated female pastors (all Methodists) who have been my neighbors over the years at various times. I'd be kind, helpful, encouraging.

This type of situation will only be more frequent in the future. We had better find a better plan for handling it.

We are on the same side, aren't we?