MY OWN RESPONSE TO MY GUEST COLUMN ON "HOW THE SOUTHERN BAPTISTS LEFT ME"

 [The letter below is my own response to my guest column in Baptist News Global on Southern Baptists and women pastors, also published on this blog. Unfortunately, due to a lack of space, my response could not be published.]

On June 19, my guest column “The Southern Baptists Left Me” was published. Now, I am taking perhaps the unusual step by responding to my own essay. No, I have not changed my mind and no, I have not received any pressure to repent of my position. On the contrary, I have only support from my two friends and colleagues with whom I shared an earlier draft and also from reader.  In “My Own Response” I would like to further reflect upon ordination for women and offer any preemptive clarifications to my first essay.

First, how appropriate my essay was published on June 19- Juneteenth. As a historian of sorts I find this to be cool (using the proper academic slang). If a reader is not aware of the connection I am making, I will  him/her to do the research.

Second, I have watched several YouTube videos on the subject at hand and all have been critical of Saddleback and Rick Warren. Several commentators seem delighted at the outcome, almost to the point of seeming to be jealous of Warren’s success and sneering at his change of mind regarding women’s pastoral ordination.

The best critical video I viewed was one by Gavin Ortlund, an American Baptist pastor in California. Ortlund is a self-described “gentle complementarian” who did describe fairly  both sides of the debate and countered misconceptions some folks on one side may have against the folks on the other side. The major misconceptions, according to Ortlund are not all egalitarians are liberal and not all complementarians are power-tripping women abusers. Fair enough.

Third, I have really only personally known three female pastors. One is a super person who was a colleague on a church staff and one I still consider a friend. The other was what I can describe at the time I associated with seemed to be self-conscious, lacked self-esteem in her ministry skills, and was intellectually dishonest. The third was a seminary classmate who won the best preaching award and went on to pastor in another denomination/ Two out of three- even with my small sampling I bet that those numbers generally relate to your experiences with male pastors.

Fourth, if one really takes seriously Paul’s prohibition against women having authority over men, how does one really takes seriously Paul’s command for women to keep their heads covered? After all, both teachings are rooted in the order of creation. Then, how does one view the fact that female seminary and college professors have authority over male students by holding them accountable to their courses through attendance, tests, and grades? If SBC churches are required to hold to their “no women pastors, no women deacons” position, should not SBC seminaries and colleges offer their support by not permitting women professors to teach men?

Fifth, almost two decades ago an essay entitled “A Call for Theological Triage and Christian Maturity” was published. Its author was Al Mohler. In this seminal essay Dr. Mohler reported that a trip to a local hospital ER alerted him to connect medical triage to theological triage. He stated, “A discipline of theological triage would require Christians to determine a scale of theological urgency that would correspond to the medical world’s framework for medical priority.’ Accordingly, Mohler establishes three different levels of theological urgency-

o   First-level theological issues include the Trinity, justification by faith, the authority of scriptures, and the full deity and humanity of Jesus Christ. These doctrines are essential to our Christian faith and are worth fighting for.

o   Second-level theological issues include the meaning and mode of baptism and women serving as pastors. These doctrines are either/or in congregations and denominations.

o   Third-level theological issues include the timing and sequence of eschatology and the interpretation of difficult texts. Disagreements over these issues should preclude fellowship even within congregation.

I have two brief comments on Dr. Mohler’s triage typology. While I recognize the doctrinal issues he includes as descriptors of the triage levels are illustrative and not exhaustive, I wonder where on which level he would include God’s numerous commands for us to care for foreigners, sojourners, orphans, widows, the poor, and needy which are not included in his essay? And, considering that in my view that the texts on women are indeed difficult, notwithstanding Paul’s prohibition in 1 Timothy, then this should be  a third-level issue, and should therefore be resolved in each congregation such as Saddleback or Fern Creek rather than by a vote in an annual denominational meeting.

Indepth, Spirit-filled interpretation of our Scriptures and review of our doctrines accordingly are never easy. Our Navy SEALS have it right in, “The only easy day is yesterday>”