Few people outside of the denomination understand how a Southern Baptist church operates. Most
think that we are under the authority of the Southern Baptist Convention. We are not. We voluntarily
choose to join with other Southern Baptist churches to accomplish certain objectives. We pool our
resources so that even smaller churches can have an impact on reaching people for Christ; our small
church has a hand in sending missionaries around the world, providing physical help in times of disaster,
and furnishing education to many called to minister in churches, among other things.
But the “Convention” does not govern us. Each church is autonomous. We secure our own pastors,
own our property, decide our infrastructure and methods of teaching, and…to a point…form our own
doctrine. What do I mean by “to a point”? There is a document entitled “The Baptist Faith and
Message” that sets forth certain beliefs that Southern Baptist have historically held concerning our
doctrine and principles of operation. Each church, when asking to be recognized as a Southern Baptist
church and to affiliate with the Convention, agrees in principle with that document.
What happens when an individual church decides to deviate from these long-held beliefs? I’m glad you
asked. A Credentials Committee would deem the church “not in friendly cooperation with the
Convention” and expel them from the Convention. Recently, five churches, including the hugely
successful Saddleback church in California, were deemed not in cooperation and ousted from the SBC.
These churches had taken the extraordinary step of ordaining women as pastors.
Whether you agree or disagree with the church’s actions, the Baptist Faith and Message clearly spell out
a belief that the ordaining of women as pastors is not scriptural. Therefore, delegates from hundreds of
churches overwhelmingly voted to uphold the committee’s decision at the annual SBC meeting last year.
You might say, then, that our churches are under the authority of the SBC. Our organization of like-
minded churches needs be consistent and unified in our doctrine. There has to be some guidelines in
that respect.
But no one in the Convention can tell us how to spend our money (or even how much to send to the SBC
to support its many ministries), how to conduct our services, what literature to use in our Bible study
classes, or what to build or tear down. We don’t have to send them any records of membership, giving,
or internal disciplines if we choose not to do so. But we have told the Convention that we are in
agreement with the Baptist Faith and Message and if one day we decide that we are not…we would
simply quit sending them money and carry on with business as usually. Honestly, not much would
change.
Say good things about your Savior and His church.
think that we are under the authority of the Southern Baptist Convention. We are not. We voluntarily
choose to join with other Southern Baptist churches to accomplish certain objectives. We pool our
resources so that even smaller churches can have an impact on reaching people for Christ; our small
church has a hand in sending missionaries around the world, providing physical help in times of disaster,
and furnishing education to many called to minister in churches, among other things.
But the “Convention” does not govern us. Each church is autonomous. We secure our own pastors,
own our property, decide our infrastructure and methods of teaching, and…to a point…form our own
doctrine. What do I mean by “to a point”? There is a document entitled “The Baptist Faith and
Message” that sets forth certain beliefs that Southern Baptist have historically held concerning our
doctrine and principles of operation. Each church, when asking to be recognized as a Southern Baptist
church and to affiliate with the Convention, agrees in principle with that document.
What happens when an individual church decides to deviate from these long-held beliefs? I’m glad you
asked. A Credentials Committee would deem the church “not in friendly cooperation with the
Convention” and expel them from the Convention. Recently, five churches, including the hugely
successful Saddleback church in California, were deemed not in cooperation and ousted from the SBC.
These churches had taken the extraordinary step of ordaining women as pastors.
Whether you agree or disagree with the church’s actions, the Baptist Faith and Message clearly spell out
a belief that the ordaining of women as pastors is not scriptural. Therefore, delegates from hundreds of
churches overwhelmingly voted to uphold the committee’s decision at the annual SBC meeting last year.
You might say, then, that our churches are under the authority of the SBC. Our organization of like-
minded churches needs be consistent and unified in our doctrine. There has to be some guidelines in
that respect.
But no one in the Convention can tell us how to spend our money (or even how much to send to the SBC
to support its many ministries), how to conduct our services, what literature to use in our Bible study
classes, or what to build or tear down. We don’t have to send them any records of membership, giving,
or internal disciplines if we choose not to do so. But we have told the Convention that we are in
agreement with the Baptist Faith and Message and if one day we decide that we are not…we would
simply quit sending them money and carry on with business as usually. Honestly, not much would
change.
Say good things about your Savior and His church.