EC meeting recap and a history of Article III

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Episode #420

This week’s EC meeting was one for the history books. Amy and Jonathan unpack the decisions made and what those decisions mean for the future of the SBC and provide a look back at the history of Article III of the SBC Constitution and how we got here.

News Recap

• EC Meeting Recap Articles
  • https://bit.ly/3XWZFPM
  • https://bit.ly/3SqPAcw
  • https://bit.ly/3SvlQeO
  • https://bit.ly/3SzbRVF
  • https://bit.ly/3SutC8M
  • https://bit.ly/3Y0Xnit
  • https://bit.ly/3IqY3YQ
  • https://bit.ly/3Y0XtGR
  • https://bit.ly/3m43J3m
• Nathan Finn to be re-nominated for SBC Recording Secretary – https://bit.ly/3ExMhuz

This Week in SBC History

This Week – A look at Article III

1845 – “shall consist of members who contribute funds” — after that, it’s basically about $$$ for the first one hundred years

1925 – Baptist Faith and Message and Cooperative Program

1948 – “for each regular Baptist church which is in friendly cooperation with this Convention and sympathetic with its purposes and work“

1992 – TC Pinckney proposes constitutional amendment at an EC meeting- “Homosexuality was being promoted and was making progress … and we wanted to protect the Southern Baptist Convention from [a] nickel and dime whittling away of standards and promoting acceptance of homosexuality” – http://media.sbhla.org.s3.amazonaws.com/7395,19-Feb-1992.PDF

1993 – Constitutional amendment passes for the second time and goes in

“Is in friendly cooperation with the Convention and sympathetic with its purposes and work. Among churches not in cooperation with the Convention are churches which act to affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior.”

1999 – T.C. Pinckney proposes Baptist Faith and Message committee

2000 – Baptist Faith and Message – clear at the time that it was “not binding on local congregations”

Acknowledgement of female pastors, including Fern Creek – https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/sbc-life-articles/sbc-and-women-pastors/

2004 – starts showing up in state conventions

Michigan, Florida: changed bylaws to say they could expel congregations that did not adhere to the BFM; other states followed suit, also some local associations

2007 – Garner motion – https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/bfm-motion-grabs-attention-at-sbc/

2014 – new proposal for cooperating standards, primarily financial, about upping the minimum giving standards… BUT it adds the BFM 2000

Original: Has not intentionally operated in any manner demonstrating opposition to the doctrine expressed in the Convention’s most recently adopted statement of faith. (By way of example, churches which act to affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior would be deemed not to be in cooperation with the Convention.)

Text gets changed to: “Has a faith and practice which closely identifies with the Convention’s adopted statement of faith. (By way of example, churches which act to affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior would be deemed not to be in cooperation with the Convention.)”

2017 – constitutional amendment to add racism is declined – https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/ec-wrap-up-cp-escrowing-by-churches-draws-study/

2018 – Raleigh White Baptist Church – https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/ec-disfellowships-ga-church-honors-mohler/

2019 – Constitutional amendments and Bylaw 8

Round 1 amendments – https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/wrap-up-sex-abuse-prevention-tops-sbc-exec-comm-agenda/

Possible revision – https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/sbc-ec-may-revise-sex-abuse-prevention-proposal/

Final version moves forward – https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/sexual-abuse-racism-votes-move-to-sbc-messengers/

2020 – Mohler article on women pastors in the SBC – https://albertmohler.com/2020/08/14/briefing-8-14-20

2021 – Saddleback Motion in Nashville

Tom Ascol calls for credentials committee submissions: https://twitter.com/tomascol/status/1391532666399432705?s=20

Mohler Article – https://albertmohler.com/2021/05/10/women-pastors-women-preachers-and-the-looming-test-of-the-southern-baptist-convention

2022 – Credentials committee report in Anaheim – https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/credentials-committee-withdraws-recommendation-related-to-saddleback-continues-work/

Mike Law motion – https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/barber-wellman-issue-statement-on-proposed-constitutional-amendment/