By: Summer

Does This Issue Prove (Again) That Blacks Have A Problem Following Instructions???

Shifting standards for church affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention are causing Black churches to wonder about their future with the nation’s largest Protestant denomination.

The president of the National African American Fellowship — an association representing about 4,000 predominantly Black churches within the Nashville, Tennessee-based SBC — recently expressed concern about the convention’s expectations for churches in which women hold the title of pastor. The NAAF letter said the new expectations could lead to fewer Black churches, where the practice is more common.

The July 3 letter from NAAF President Gregory Perkins, a California pastor, is part of the immediate aftermath of several policy decisions at the 2023 SBC annual meeting in June. Weeks ago, Elevation Church, a North Carolina megachurch, left the SBC seemingly over similar reasons.

“We strongly urge our SBC family to consider entering a time of prayer and dialogue because for many, this most recent decision is an unnecessary infringement upon the autonomy of the local church,” Perkins said in his letter. “It has created division within the SBC and may disproportionally impact NAAF affiliated congregations.”

Religion News Service first reported the news of Perkins’ letter.

Following years of debate over how the SBC enforces part of its doctrinal statement, the convention made three major decisions at its annual meeting in New Orleans last month.

First, SBC voting delegates, called messengers, approved an amendment to the SBC doctrinal statement to expand church leadership titles that women are unable to hold. The doctrinal statement, called the Baptist Faith & Message 2000, now says, “the office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.”

Also, at this year’s SBC annual meeting, messengers overwhelmingly voted to uphold earlier decisions to disfellowship Saddleback Church in Southern California and Fern Creek Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, for having women pastors. Third, the messengers approved a constitutional amendment that would enshrine a ban on women pastors.

The constitutional amendment requires secondary approval at next year’s SBC annual meeting. However, the sustained decision to disfellowship Saddleback and Fern Creek is expected to set a precedent for the SBC to disfellowship more churches with similar practices.

Perkins’ letter to SBC President Bart Barber and other SBC leaders said many NAAF affiliated congregations use the title of pastor for women, even though a male leader has authority over that woman.

“It is in our best interest to allow a diversity of voices and perspectives be heard,” Perkins said. “Let’s seek to better understand the full ramifications of this policy shift and engage in a vigorous, yet constructive dialogue.”

Perkins’ letter is partly proactive ahead of next year’s SBC annual meeting when messengers vote on the constitutional amendment a second time. In the meantime, Barber will appoint a task force to study what it means for a church to be in “friendly cooperation” with the SBC.  

Barber said he intends to honor Perkins’ request. “I will make sure that the entire SBC family has ample opportunity for prayer and dialogue throughout the coming year leading up to our meeting next June in Indianapolis,” said the SBC president in a statement.

Barber said he will meet with NAAF leaders next week in North Carolina, “where I trust that we will make a healthy start in both prayer and fruitful conversation.”