Women Pastors: The Saddleback Church’s Struggle for SBC Acceptance

In my teenage years, I developed a deep admiration for Rick Warren, primarily due to his book, “The Purpose Driven Life.” The profound impact of his writing led me to share numerous copies of the book with others, as I found it incredibly meaningful at the time.

Recently, I was taken aback by the decision of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the largest Baptist denomination globally, to reject the reintegration of Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church into its community. The leadership of the SBC overwhelmingly voted against the reinstatement just yesterday, revealing a significant divide within the denomination.

Saddleback Church, renowned as the largest congregation in California and one of the largest in the United States, faced expulsion from the Baptist community in February. The reason behind this exclusion was their appointment of women as pastors, a practice that clashed with the firmly held beliefs of the Baptist denomination.

It is important to note that the Baptist denomination does not disregard the role of women in Christian ministry. They often refer to examples such as Priscilla, Aquila, Lydia, and Euodia, who held significant positions alongside the Apostles. However, the denomination staunchly maintains the belief that women should not serve as senior pastors, leading to the expulsion of Saddleback Church.

As is customary with various Christian denominations, the SBC relies on scriptures to justify their convictions. One scripture commonly cited in this context is 1 Timothy 2:12, which states:

“I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man.”

Curiously, some senior female Baptist members expressed their agreement with the SBC’s ruling. One of them, quoted by AP News, urged the SBC to “shut the door to feminism and liberalism,” aligning herself with the conservative stance on this matter.

In response to the voting outcome, Rick Warren offered his critique, highlighting the different factions within the SBC. He stated:

“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. I say we need to take the church back to the first century. The church at its birth was the church at its best.”

While I had assumed that the SBC would welcome Saddleback Church back into its community, perhaps due to the church’s founder, I find myself questioning the validity of Warren’s final statement. When he refers to the “church at its birth,” it is likely that he draws inspiration from Galatians 3:28, prompting me to ponder whether it might be an erroneous interpretation to derive an ecclesiastical pattern from soteriological passages.

Nevertheless, my personal musings notwithstanding, I anticipate that the prevailing trend of liberalism will eventually reshape perspectives within the church. Over time, there will likely be reinterpretations of scriptures to align with the evolving desires and beliefs of the church.

It is worth acknowledging that this pattern of theological debates and shifts has persisted for over two millennia within Christianity. As the SBC grapples with its stance on women in senior pastoral roles, my thoughts and condolences extend to the congregation of Saddleback, who now find themselves at the center of this theological dispute.