One day before the much-anticipated vote on a constitutional amendment that would clarify the Southern Baptist Convention’s rejection of women in ministry, messengers to the SBC annual meeting overwhelmingly kicked out another church for its “egalitarian” views. First Baptist Church…
The Law Amendment would force out this Georgia church, among others
Struggling against the powers that be in the Southern Baptist Convention is nothing new to Dunwoody Baptist Church in North Atlanta. In 1989 and 1990 when he ran as the last “moderate” candidate in the SBC presidential race, Daniel Vestal…
This is what support looks like: The First Baptist Richmond story
On May 19, First Baptist Church of Richmond, Va., made Baptist history by voting to leave the Southern Baptist Convention in support of women in ministry. Their decision wasn’t driven by hatred for the SBC or a desire to move…
Watching SBC men posture for position is exhausting
It’s exhausting to the soul. That’s what I’m feeling as I consider all the possible stories I could write regarding what white conservative men have planned for this year’s Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Indianapolis. Capturing most headlines is…
The Law Amendment may not be the most important action taken at next week’s SBC annual meeting
The Southern Baptist Convention has been at war with itself for more than 40 years, with each new battle promising uniformity that never materializes for long. This year’s SBC annual meeting, happening next week in Indianapolis, represents another major front…
The Law Amendment is one more SBC backlash against women
Next week, the Southern Baptist Convention will hold its annual meeting in Indianapolis and vote on the second reading of what has come to be known as the Law Amendment. A proposed amendment to the SBC’s Constitution, named after the…
Wine, women and gospel: A perilous inerrancy
In Primitive Baptists of the Wiregrass South, author John G. Crowley writes that for those Appalachian Baptists, “the use of fermented wine, usually made by the deacons” is standard in their celebration of the Lord’s Supper, a biblical mandate they…
What can be learned from the SBC Book of Reports? The circle remains unbroken
The Southern Baptist Convention is so big and its empire so far-reaching that it’s hard to get true perspective on its scope and trends. One of the few snapshots to give insight is the Book of Reports, published just prior…
The Sunday we left the Southern Baptist Convention
On Sunday, we voted to leave the Southern Baptist Convention. It happened at a special, called business meeting that took place in our Fellowship Hall during the Sunday school hour. When I got there, after preaching at the early worship…
Virginia church with historic ties to SBC will vote on leaving due to Law Amendment
A Virginia church with deep historical ties to the Southern Baptist Convention will vote May 19 on a proposal to sever ties with the SBC due to the denomination’s intolerance for women serving as pastors. For decades, First Baptist Church…
Bart Barber, a unicorn among SBC presidents, reflects on the state of the SBC as his term concludes
Bart Barber is a unicorn among recent Southern Baptist Convention presidents. And now he’s a lame duck, too. To participate in our interview by Zoom, Barber had to travel away from his North Texas farm. This is unlike any of…
Second vote on Law Amendment will take the spotlight at this summer’s SBC annual meeting
When the Southern Baptist Convention meets in annual session in Indianapolis in June, one vote may be the most consequential in determining the future of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. And it will not be the vote to elect an…