| Georgia Baptists target second church with woman pastor |
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| By Bob Allen | ||
| Thursday, March 18, 2010 | ||
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Editor's note: This story was updated March 19. ATLANTA (ABP) -- For the second straight year, the Georgia Baptist Convention is poised to cut ties with a historic member congregation over the issue of women in ministry. The convention's execitive committee voted March 16 to declare Druid Hills Baptist Church in Atlanta not a "cooperating church" as defined in the GBC constitution and to recommend the congregation be excluded from membership at the convention's annual meeting this fall. The action is based on a vote by the convention in November 2000 affirming the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message as the state body's doctrinal statement. The document includes the phrase, "While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture." "We are keeping faith with the Baptist Faith and Message with regard to women serving as pastor," Robert White, executive director of the state convention said in a statement. "The GBC has never been opposed to women serving in ministry positions other than pastor."
Graham Walker, co-pastor of Druid Hills Baptist Church with his wife, Mimi, said that in a Jan. 25 meeting, White acknowledged that Mimi Walker, who has been listed as a pastor in the state convention's annual record book since 2003, would not have been a problem before the state group voted to adopt changes made to the document in 2000 as the convention's standard. Under the revised standard, White reportedly said, the convention "no longer" accepts autonomous churches that choose to call a woman as their pastor. Graham Walker said that unlike First Baptist Church in Decatur, Ga., which did not send messengers to last year's convention meeting to challenge its removal for calling a woman pastor in 2007, Druid Hills plans to be present at the Nov. 15-16 GBC meeting at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga., to respond. Walker said that Louie Newton, who once served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention and who was pastor at Druid Hills for 40 years before his retirement in 1969, is "all over" plaques, buildings and endowments named in his honor in the state convention. "Newton was known for doing the creative, innovative thing and following the Spirit's lead in missional directions," Walker said. "Now, because Druid Hills Baptist Church does not conform, they are to be disfellowshipped." "Well, Druid Hills Baptist Church has not had that history, nor will it," he said. Established in 1914, according to the church website, Druid Hills Baptist Church from the beginning has been a church oriented toward innovation and growth. It was among one of the first Baptist churches in the South to hold a vacation Bible school and co-educational adult Sunday school class. It is now the last historically Southern Baptist church still located near Atlanta's downtown core. Walker said that during the meeting with convention officials, White said he was saddened to bring news of the impending vote to one of its early founding churches that helped to build the state convention under Newton's leadership. But he said as executive director he had no choice but to abide by convention policies and that the state convention has no intention of changing its policy against women pastors. After the Jan. 25 meeting, Walker said, the congregation voted to affirm its support for women in ministry and to prepare a response should the state convention withdraw fellowship. -30- Related ABP articles: Georgia Baptists cut ties with church led by woman pastor Opinion: Georgia Baptists, the Bible and women pastors
Opinion: Does the SBC respect local-church autonomy or not?                 Comments (29)
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written by KT2005, March 18, 2010
Anyone else find irony in the church's name: Druid Hill Baptist Church? . . . To all church planters, do better by your churches.
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written by John Bunyan, March 18, 2010
Too bad so sad. Women cannot be pastors. Liberals never learn.
To John Bunyan
written by brotherroy, March 18, 2010
Do you have any constructive comments to make - or are you just here to mock?
Go Druid
written by Dr. J, March 18, 2010
Druid- keep up the good work. Your church autonomy and following the Holy Spirit are more important than any actions taken by the GBC or SBC.
To sisterroy
written by John Bunyan, March 18, 2010
I think my comments are as least as constructive as the historical revisionism of Whoa. What truth are you afraid of? Scripture? History? Thelogy? Liberals never learn.
Of druids and history
written by urbansteven, March 19, 2010
1. To anyone unfamiliar with Atlanta, there is little irony in the church's name: Druid Hills is a well-known neighborhood.
2. As to the charge of historical revisionism leveled against WHOA, exactly what did WHOA get wrong? Baptists in the South, like their Methodist and Presbyterian counterparts, split largely over slavery. I think you would be hard pressed to find an American religious historian at a research university who would claim otherwise. That is not to say, of course, that there were not other contributing factors at play, but slavery was central. Before Northern and Southern Baptists parted ways, Richard Furman, a Baptist leader from South Carolina, penned "what became a classic model for all subsequent Bible-based Southern defenses of slavery" (see "Richard Furman", Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals, Wheaton College, . Not only did we split over slavery, we supplied other Southerners with the prototypical defense of it. Pretty shameful beginnings in my opinion. The irony of the exchange between WHOA and Bunyan is that someone like Furman could at least make a biblical case about slavery. Where exactly do we find the office of "senior pastor" anywhere in Scripture, much less the reservation of that office for males? ...
written by John Bunyan, March 19, 2010
Those who believe the myth that the Civil War was really about slavery are the same people who believe that the Health Care bill is really about health care. Liberals never learn.
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written by singer2, March 19, 2010
JB: your last comment tells us why you "never learn." Your mind is closed. Slavery was the central issue because, without the slaves, landowners could not manage their vast plantations. To them, secession was an economic necessity, and they felt they had to have their slaves. At some point, that entire system had to come down around their ears. It is unfortunate that my southern forebears could not have applied the gospel to that situation any sooner than the 1960s. Now, do you wish to have an intelligent discussion without your meaningless phrase "liberals never learn"?
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written by John Bunyan, March 19, 2010
The Civil War was about the economic destruction of the South and the greatest violation of the 10th Amendment our nation has ever known. It was about the justification of land grabbing and resource stealing of the North by the South (Reconstruction). If the real issue was slavery, why didn't the North take care of all of the freed slaves after the war? Liberals never learn. They do not know history and do not want to know it.
Co-Pastors
written by iChooseLove, March 19, 2010
Druid Hills has set a wonderful example of how wife/husband co-pastor teams can work when both are called to the ministry! Druid Hills has continued to fine new and innovative ways to be lead by the Spirit and get connected to their community. It is a place for community members and seminary students to learn what ministry and God's transforming love is all about.
It seems like the GBC is just on a witch hunt, and in doing so is becoming more and more un-Baptist. One of the characteristics that makes a Baptist a Baptists is the ability of the local church to remain completely autonomous. The Conventions are supposed to support the local churches, help them get resources, and connect them to other local churches for support and encouragement. It's so sad to me that the GBC seems to have forgotten this... and there is the problem with the SBC
written by kash, March 19, 2010
And John Bunyan demonstrates that many in the SBC are entrenched in narrow-minded attitudes of the past that will damage their ability to carry Christ's timeless open-minded and open-hearted message into the future.
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written by singer2, March 19, 2010
Wow! I thought all the old southern apologists and state's righters had died out. My history is different from your history, which doesn't jive with fact, i.e., how the north followed through after the war has nothing to do with the economics that lay at the center of the problem. Evenso, we are off the topic, and must face the essence of the article, the centralization of the SBC which disallows individual Baptist churches that follow Christ's truth in their own way. Church autonomy is a grand idea, but we can't stand to see another congregation take a stand for Christ that might violate the bias in our own local band. And then we wonder why our younger, more missionary-minded pastors have led their churches to take the word "Baptist" out of their titles. Actions like those of the GBC are driving them away.
The Tenth Amendment Still in the Constitution
written by John Bunyan, March 19, 2010
"Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled." You either believe the Constition of the United States and willingly risk your life, your fortune, your sacred honor to protect and defend it or your do not. It is the same with scripture. You either believe it or you do not. Everything is relative and changing to the liberal. Authority is meaningless. They argue about wat the meaning of "is" is. This is why liberals never learn.
John Bunyan
written by brotherroy, March 19, 2010
Wow! Definitely off topic, but Wow. The US Constitution is amendable, you do know that, don't you? Pointing the finger at "liberals" and suggesting they never learn may open you to the charge of hypocrisy, at least if your earlier post regarding the nature of the Civil War are any indication of your lack of learning.
State's righters
written by kash, March 19, 2010
Sadly, not only have Old South apologists and "State's righters" not died, they have been coming out of their dark mental hollows in droves since OBama's election. In a way, I think that is a good thing: it is easier to battle those same old prejudicial ways of thinking when they are out in the open instead of hidden beneath a veneer of "tradition" and "respectibility".
Civil War
written by kash, March 19, 2010
And anyone who argues the Civil War was about economics and not slavery misses the fact that the agrarian economy of the south was only sustainable as long as slavery continued. So the southern economy had to be rebuilt, for moral as well as economic reasons, to bring it in line with the ideals of the US Constitution.
I am neither liberal nor conservative.
written by dlhunt, March 19, 2010
Dumping on the Baptist distinctive of the autonomy of the local church it seems to me there is a stack of lumber in the eyes of those who would condemn a church who chooses a pastor who happens to be female.
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written by John Bunyan, March 20, 2010
If Brotherroy and kash and singer2 do not believe in the Bill of Rights, are they Americans?
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written by John Bunyan, March 20, 2010
If all you folks can so easily be disturbed by someone you only logs on to poke fun at the ABP whose hidden (open) agenda is not to distribute news of interests about Baptists, but to criticize the SBC because they no longer control it, doesn't it prove my point that liberals never learn? Why do you even respond to any of my silly rants? It is in the nature of a liberal to do so. He has to feel (not know) that he is always right.
I Corinthians 14
written by Mark Osgatharp, March 20, 2010
"Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord."
Ironically, even those who oppose women as pastors don't generally ignore this commandment of Jesus, for if they didn't they would have to make all the women keep silent in the church. LOL! Mark Osgatharp Wynne, Arkansas oops!
written by Mark Osgatharp, March 20, 2010
That should have said that they generally ignore this passage, not that they don't generally ignore it.
Mark Osgatharp Wynne, Arkansas ...
written by singer2, March 20, 2010
I find it curious that several very narrow Baptists continue to lurk on a news site that is boldly moderate. You are constantly judging and condemning Baptists who, likely as not, are no longer are part of the SBC. We have found the freedom to believe and interpret as we believe God leads us, with moderate and very missionary-minded believers. For us, this is the way life was prior to the conservative resurgence. We're here, and you are there, and you fail to see how you appear. You prove nothing by camping here and sniping. For the rest of us, I am joyful that we are being challenged by this site to see God's great grace and will for each of us, to preach and serve according to God's call, rather than according to what some very mistaken people may think.
10th amendment my &*%$
written by kash, March 21, 2010
For 200 years, whenever some small minded unAmerican group of people want to stop progress, they cry about the 10th amendment. If it makes you feel better, Mr. Bunyan, I wish there were a state (an island, perhaps?) where we could send all of you "Americans" that wish we still had slavery, segregation, no labor laws, no public education, no women's rights, no constitutional amendments, no civil liberties, no environmental regulations, etc. You know, all of the things that those who opposed them always claimed violated the 10th amendment. That way the rest of us could enjoy our safe commerce and protected environment and civil rights while you all could live in your laissez faire polluted exploitative Lord of the Flies 10th amendment worshipping state without nagging us.
:)
written by Capp, March 21, 2010
I find it hilariously ironic that strong 10th Amendment advocates (even if they incorrectly quote the U.S. Constitution, which was highly amusing by the way) appear to support a church governance structure that is opposite to an application of their understanding of the 10th Amendment to secular government. (Equating Federal government to denomination, state to church, and people to people, of course).
I also find it hilariously ironic (although a little less so) that those who might distrust a strong 10th Amendment application to secular government appear to support a church governance structure that applies something akin to a strong 10th Amendment to temper the power of a denomination. Me thinks such discourse is earth-focused (...and denomination-focused ...and poltical party-focused) anyway, and such will be proved irrelevant. Thanks again for the entertainment. ... written by John Bunyan, March 22, 2010
I knew they would respond. Their need to feel right and superior demands it.
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The SBC was formed to allow the ownership of slaves, and twisted the Bible to keep blacks "in their place" until the Federal government intervened. Now they are doing the same to keep women subordinate. If allowed equal footing come inept men would be out of a job.