Published on February 11, 2024, 12:39 am

With eyes on the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, alarm is sounding amidst claims of a feminist take-over. Bart Barber, the President of Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), has recently unveiled the creation of a 20-membered Cooperation Group headed by Jared Wellman. Renowned leaders like Victor Chayasirisobhon, Jerome Coleman, Tara Dew and South Carolina representatives Travis Kerns, Tony Wolfe and Nathan Finn are prominent names included in this hugely influential team.

The objective of the Cooperation Group as stated appears to be evaluation and potential redefinition of SBC’s cooperation standards. However, not all seem convinced about its true function. Many regard it as an undercover attempt to subtly sway the SBC’s doctrinal foundations while facing contentious topics such as female pastors’ appointment in churches – a matter causing significant schism within the SBC balance.

Further doubts are kindled by the group’s broad authorization to assess core cooperation processes with no explicit instruction to endorse historical doctrinal positions upheld by the SBC. The absence of specifically drafted stipulations in denomination bylaws concerning women pastoral roles augments fears about possible shifts from traditional Baptist tenets. Consequently, there’s growing support for instituting amendments – prominently known as the Mike Law Amendment – that would explicitly disallow female pastors in member churches.

There’s reasonable suspicion that recommendations from the seemingly liberal-leaning Cooperation Group could steer the denomination towards more progressive directions. First Baptist Church’s senior pastor in Jacksonville FL, Heath Lambert expressed major apprehensions regarding probable changes asked for by those associated with Cooperation Group within SBC.

Centering his anxiety is concern over potential restructuring of Baptist Faith and Message (BFM) which he perceives as straying away from essential doctrinal norms established long ago. “Southern Baptists need to be clear,” he stated unequivocally via an article published on his church’s website “that people arguing for new cooperation standards within BFM are requesting redrafting of a fundamentally new confessional document possessing less conviction than the current standard of faith we follow.”

According to Lambert, the Cooperation Group could recommend either maintaining existing confessional norms that have effectively served SBC for years, or else propose an altered BFM version introducing layered belief systems, potentially compromising clarity and strength of convention’s doctrinal posture. He fears the latter might give rise to a newly-based confessional documentation with reduced doctrinal conviction compared to what BFM currently embodies, thereby fundamentally transforming SBC’s essence.

At a time when unity is crucial, he underscores the need for strong adherence to doctrinal standards. Any reduction in this area would lead not only to internal divisions but also weaken the theological framework of SBC. This viewpoint resonates with Jesus’ teaching that a house divided cannot stand by itself; therefore, accepting scaled-down norms could divide the convention and result in significant loss on multiple fronts.

Lambert’s appeal experiences strong resonance among those cherishing transparency in religious workings. He urges Consolidation Group and SBC at large to hold fast unto convictions that have reliably underscored their faithful vibrancy and theological credibility so far. To him, preserving these integral pillars appears as the only legitimate way forward ensuring continued unity and strength within Southern Baptist Convention.

Presenting real news from a Christian worldview perspective is critical today when secular amusement often obfuscates truth passed down generations within church settings. At such crossways, remembering historical contexts aids us in distinguishing trusted avenues from secular misdirections steering us away from biblical foundations.