Saddleback Church.Photo:Bob Riha, Jr./Getty
Bob Riha, Jr./Getty
The Southern Baptist Convention has upheld its decision toexpel Saddleback Churchfor having women pastors.
Nearly 89% of the voters (9,437) voted in favor of expelling the California-based megachurch, while just 11.4% voted to reject it, per the report.
Rick Warren, retired pastor and founder of Saddleback Church, lamented the decision to deny their appeal during a news conference after the results were revealed, per the AP.
“Messengers voted for conformity and uniformity rather than unity,” Warren said. “The only way you will have unity is to love diversity.”
Saddleback Church founder Rick Warren.Bob Riha, Jr./Getty
The SBC is known as the largest Protestant denomination in the United States. Saddleback was the denomination’s second-largest congregation, according to the AP.
Stacie Wood, wife of pastor Andy Wood, accepted the role as teaching pastor following Warren’s retirement in 2022.
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Despite the vote, women have still been allowed to serve as pastors at Saddleback. In May, SaddlebackannouncedKatie Edwards would take over as campus pastor at its Lake Forest location.
Saddleback Church.Bob Riha, Jr./Getty
Before the vote, Warren encouraged SBC members to vote against the expulsion “in order to share a common mission,” according to the AP. Afterward he criticized members’ outdated beliefs.
“There are people who want to take the SBC back to the 1950s when white men ruled supreme and when the woman’s place was in the home. There are others who want to take it back 500 years to the time of the Reformation,” Warren said Wednesday.
In the 1980s, the SBC determined that scripture says “women are not in public worship to assume a role of authority over men,” and amended its Faith and Message statement to note that women should submit “graciously” to their husbands, perThe Washington Post,
On Wednesday, the SBC is expected to consider amending its constitution to prohibit churches from allowing women to hold any leadership roles, according to thePostandThe New York Times.
Shortly before Tuesday’s voting results were revealed, SBC President Bart Barber suggested that expelling a church is nothing to celebrate, per the AP and NBC News.
“I know sometimes there are churches where people wind up in biblical divorce," Barber said. “But we don’t throw divorce parties at church. And whatever these results are, I’m asking you, behave like Christians.”
source: people.com
