Can women be pastors?
When Saddleback Church decided to name a woman, Stacie Wood, a pastor, the Southern Baptist Convention decided the church had taken things too far and expelled it.
The Southern Baptist Convention’s belief is the biblical one, which is that women cannot be pastors and should not be exercising authority over men in their local church.
Stuckey quotes Timothy 2:12 to make the SBC’s point: “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man. Rather, she is to remain quiet when it comes to the preaching and the teaching of the word in the setting of the local church.”
Stuckey defends the SBC’s position, saying, “This doesn’t mean that women are dumb or women are less than. I think I could give a great sermon . . . but that is not what the Lord has called me to do.”
She goes on to explain, “In verse 13, Paul says this to Timothy: ‘For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived but the woman was deceived . . . yet she will be saved through childbearing.’”
Allie explains that there’s a lot of debate around what that really means right now, but essentially the reason Paul gives is a “creation reason.”
The Guardian has brought a closer light to the situation, writing, “The Southern Baptist Convention has expelled Saddleback Church, one of its largest congregations, due to its appointment of a female pastor on Tuesday. The SBC executive committee approved a recommendation from its credentials committee that the California-based megachurch be labeled as ‘not in friendly cooperation with the convention.’”
It continues, “Saddleback Church ‘has a faith and practice that does not closely identify with the convention’s adopted statement of faith, as demonstrated by the church having a female-teaching pastor functioning in the office of pastor. The pastor in question is Stacie Wood. … While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by scripture.’”
Saddleback has responded to its ousting, saying, “We love and have always valued our relationship with the SBC and its faithful churches. We will engage and respond through the proper channels at the appropriate time in hopes to serve other like-minded, Bible-believing SBC churches.”
Stuckey isn’t convinced, saying, “They didn’t seem to respond to any of the legitimate and in-good-faith critiques that Baptists had,” explaining that their argument can be debated.
She finishes, “I think the SBC is right for taking a stand. You don’t have to agree with that. You don’t have to be a part of the SBC, but I think the SBC is drawing a line in the sand saying, ‘You know what? We’re not going to cross this.’ I think it’s good.”
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