Following is the last in a series of columns on The Baptist Faith & Message 2000.

Messengers to the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting in New Orleans voted to amend Article VI of The Baptist Faith & Message to clarify the role of pastor. 

Messengers approved a motion by Jared Cornutt, pastor of North Shelby Baptist Church of Birmingham, Ala., to amend Article VI: The Church to add the words “elder/overseer” alongside “pastor.” 

The amended portion of Article VI originally read:

“In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Its scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.”

The text now reads (italics added for emphasis):

“In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Its two scriptural offices are that of pastor/elder/overseer and deacon. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.”

In bringing the motion before messengers, Cornutt remarked: “We should never take lightly the prospect of amending our statement of faith. The document has existed for almost 100 years, and it serves as the backbone of our doctrinal purity.… I believe that we have unintentionally found ourselves with a lack of clarity that can be remedied by a small and non-substantive change.”

The words “pastor,” “elder,” and “overseer” are complementary terms that add to our understanding of the pastor’s role and responsibilities.

“Overseer” (or “bishop”) is someone who superintends the work of others in the local church. “Elder” refers to one who counsels with maturity, dignity, and wisdom. And “pastor” describes a shepherd who loves and cares for those God has entrusted to his service (Acts 20:28; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:1-7; Tit. 1:6-9). 

Friendly cooperation

During the convention, messengers upheld an SBC Executive Committee’s decision that two churches – Fern Creek Baptist in Louisville, Ky., and Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. – are not in “friendly cooperation” with the SBC due to women serving as pastors.

While representatives of both churches appealed the Executive Committee’s decision, messengers overwhelmingly affirmed the view that The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 clearly and correctly reflects the teaching of Scripture in regard to the office of pastor.

Even so, the issue pressed a key question to the forefront: How much latitude does a church have in disagreeing with certain statements in the BF&M 2000 while still remaining affiliated with the SBC?

In response, messengers approved the formation of a task force to study how the convention should regard churches “in friendly cooperation on questions of faith and practice” as written in Article 3 of the SBC Constitution.

Further, messengers approved a proposed amendment to Article 3, Paragraph 1 of the SBC Constitution to state that a cooperating church “affirms, appoints, or employs only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture.” For the amendment to become permanent, it must pass by a two-thirds majority vote at the 2024 SBC Annual Meeting. 

Legacy of SBC women

Finally, messengers affirmed the legacy of Southern Baptist women with a resolution thanking God for calling women to fulfill the Great Commission and urging churches to continue equipping them to make disciples. 

In the resolution, Southern Baptists celebrated “multitudes of women” who have served the convention as missionaries, writers, apologists, teachers, mentors, and leaders. They also affirmed women’s intrinsic worth, gifting, and dignity “for the purpose of his own mission and glory.” And they honored the work women continue to perform in “homes, churches, communities, and workplaces.”

The resolution urged Southern Baptists to work together to train and support women in disciple-making efforts as they pass on the Christian faith “to the next generation.”

One final note: Understanding The Baptist Faith & Message, a resource for personal or group study produced by the MBC’s High Street Press, has been revised to address the amendment to Article VI. Obtain an updated print or Kindle version here.

This concludes our study of The Baptist Faith & Message.