Law amendment sbc The reality is most of the big name SBC presidents of the early days of the conservative resurgence could not get elected today. a church [is] in friendly cooperation with the Convention . Here are some highlights: The Law Amendment (which states that a church cannot be in friendly cooperation if they have any female staff member with the title of pastor – children Jun 7, 2024 · (RNS) — Three of the six candidates expected to be nominated for the SBC presidency favor the so-called ‘Law Amendment,’ and three do not. May 28, 2024 · The SBC will be voting on the Law amendment at their national gathering in Indianapolis. Jun 11, 2024 · The amendment, proposed by Arlington Baptist Church pastor Mike Law, would insert new language into article three of the SBC’s governing document, which outlines the requirements for churches in Virginia church with historic ties to SBC will vote on leaving due to Law Amendment. ” His open letter to the SBC Executive Committee has accumulated 2,148 signatures. Nov 25, 2024 · Even the failure of the Law Amendment to pass, which many conservatives have feared as a sign of creeping egalitarianism, is itself evidence of the complementarian convictions of the SBC. A vote on the Law Amendment came just a handful of hours after 88% of messengers voted to uphold the removal of Warren’s church from good standing in the SBC. Meanwhile, most problematic, some opponents of the Law Amendment are in fact bona fide egalitarians. ” Third, by including the phrase “any kind of,” the Law Amendment broadens the discussion, creating more questions and confusion than it claims to resolve. He added, “The Bible is clear … concerning male-only pastors. The Importance of the Law Amendment. However, a two-thirds affirmation at two consecutive meetings is required to ratify a constitutional amendment. Second, puzzlingly, the Law Amendment excludes the word “overseer. According to the SBC constitution and bylaws, to make a permanent change to that document requires passage by two-thirds vote over two consecutive years. It must pass by a two-thirds majority at the SBC annual meeting this year in May 27, 2024 · By Dani BrysonGuest columnist, Baptist and ReflectorNecessary legal disclaimer: I’m a lawyer. Law and other strict complementarians in the SBC have been after First Baptist Alexandria for several years. , said its purpose was to be “faithful to God’s inerrant Word. “Removing folks is the last resort,” Moore said. … I don’t understand why it would be an issue to put it in the (SBC) constitution. Part 3: The Statement of Faith (BF&M 2000) addresses the pastoral office, not just a “Senior” pastor. Mar 4, 2024 · First, based on the word “or,” the Law Amendment is self-contradictory. (If you want to read my full piece, it is still available here . ” Passing the amendment will further solidify what the SBC already has stated it believes and has put into practice — that God should be limited. a woman as pastor of any kind. Barber says he believes messengers to next month’s SBC annual meeting in New Orleans should be allowed to vote it up or down. , introduced the amendment at the 2023 SBC annual meeting in New Orleans, where messengers voted in favor of it. Anti-egalitarian forces make clean sweep at SBC annual meeting Jun 12, 2024 · LAW AMENDMENT FAILS. Oct 28, 2022 · Law’s letter is being circulated to other pastors and professors at Southern Baptist institutions for additional signatures. ) Baptist Church, that the SBC Constitution be amended to note that any church in “friendly cooperation” with the SBC “does not affirm, appoint or employ a woman as a pastor of any kind. | Baptist Press/Sonya Singh A proposed amendment to the Southern Baptist Convention's constitution, known as the Law Amendment, that would have permanently banned women from serving as pastors "as qualified by Scripture," fell 5 percentage points short of the required May 26, 2024 · The move comes as the SBC, at its annual meeting in Indianapolis in June, is expected to vote on -- and approve -- the Law Amendment, Baptist News reports. This remains the position of the Executive Committee and reflects my position as well. Jun 14, 2023 · The now-passed amendment’s text is straightforward, leaving little wiggle room for potential undermining from “egalitarian” activists in the SBC. Jun 11, 2024 · Law Amendment response. This article isn’t legal advice or intended to create a lawyer-client relationship between the SBC or any other party and me. Jun 11, 2024 · Catch up with Monday's SBC news:SBC live updates: Seminary leader condemns Trump verdict, voices opposition to IVF The constitutional ban on women pastors — commonly called the “Law Amendment Sep 8, 2023 · Mike Law’s motion made at the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting received a slight amendment by Juan Sanchez in New Orleans this June before receiving a first vote approval at the 2023 annual meeting. Clint Pressley of North Carolina was voted to become the president with a vote of 56. As SBC moves toward second vote on Law Amendment, debate continues on just what it means May 20, 2024 · Against the Law Amendment—Less than 1 percent of SBC churches have a female pastor of any kind, so that is considered “statistically insignificant” and not a “crisis,” he said. May 21, 2024 · When the Law amendment came out, I was glad to sign it as it seemed to make sense to me, providing clarity to what we have already stated in the Baptist faith and Message 2000. 1996, c. Binding Our Credentials Committee With this amendment, if a church is brought to the Credentials Committee that has any woman on staff, who is a “pastor of any kind,” such as a woman who oversees their children’s ministry or website development May 29, 2024 · 1. ” BP published one article featuring comments from Juan Sanchez in June, and I’m told there will be another next week (Sanchez is a supporter of the Amendment). 67 percent) threshold needed to […] Jun 12, 2024 · After the vote on the Law Amendment failed, Jared Moore, pastor of Homesteads Baptist Church in Crossville, Tennessee, stood outside the convention meeting hall, talking with other pastors about what comes next. Even the new president of the SBC Executive Committee, Jeff Iorg, has weighed in against the Law Jan 29, 2024 · This June at the 2024 SBC Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, messengers will vote on a constitutional amendment that has come to be known as the “Law amendment” after Mike Law, the Virginia pastor who submitted the motion calling for it. Jun 12, 2023 · The measure, spearheaded by Virginia Pastor Mike Law, is a proposed amendment to the SBC constitution. Which leads to the most notable item in this year’s SBC Book of Reports. However, it is not just for the current messengers and members of the SBC. According to the SBC Constitution and Bylaws, to make a permanent change to that document requires passage by two-thirds vote over two consecutive years. Right now, you don’t need the law amendment to bring up any church or any,. C. ” Jun 14, 2024 · By Baptist Message staff INDIANAPOLIS (LBM) – Here are the highlights from the 2024 SBC Annual Meeting, June 10-12. The Law Amendment’s Self-Contradiction The Law Amendment would have taken language from the Southern Baptist Convention’s Baptist Faith & Message and put it into the SBC constitution, such that only churches with qualified men as pastors would be in cooperation with the SBC. Today on The Sword and The Trowel, Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden talk with Pastor Mike Law about his Amendment to the SBC constitution regarding the office of Pastor, at the recent 2023 Southern Baptist Convention. SBC engages feisty debate on meaning of religious liberty before adopting resolution. ) Feb 16, 2024 · In this special edition of Revitalize and Replant, Mark Clifton addresses the upcoming vote on the Law Amendment at the SBC Annual Meeting in Indianapolis this June. Amendment provides 'greater clarity' Jun 12, 2024 · We need to pass the Law Amendment because it is the right and biblical thing to do now. That amendment would add a sixth qualification to Article III of the SBC Constitution, which already May 21, 2024 · Support passage of the Mike Law Amendment at the 2024 SBC in Indianapolis. ” There is a historical and textual reason for Pressley was among three of the six original candidates for SBC president this year who supported the Law Amendment, or the proposed measure to enshrine a ban on women pastors. The Law Amendment aimed to make explicit that only churches that affirm, appoint, or employ qualified men could be considered in friendly cooperation with Jun 2, 2022 · PROPERTY LAW (AMENDMENT) SBC CHAP. Much ink was spilt over the last two years regarding the Law Amendment that passed in the 2023 SBC and had to pass a second time in the subsequent annual meeting according to the governing documents of the SBC. Mar 24, 2023 · The amendment Law has proposed would add this requirement to affiliation with the SBC: “Does not affirm, appoint, or employ a woman as a pastor of any kind. 377, is amended by adding the following sections: Jun 13, 2024 · Some 5,099 — or 61% of messengers who cast ballots at America's largest Protestant denomination's Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana — voted in favor of the proposed amendment to the SBC’s constitution, known as the Law Amendment. May 28, 2024 · Law Amendment: Set for a second and final vote, the Law Amendment aspires to strengthen enforcement of a belief in the SBC’s doctrinal statement, called the Baptist Faith & Message 2000, by May 17, 2024 · A Personal Appeal to SBC Messengers on the Law Amendment By Mike Law – A call to adopt the Amendment for the sake of the SBC’s fidelity, clarity, and unity. ” This is a significant decision which raises important issues related to Baptist theology, polity and practice and has the potential to Jun 17, 2024 · One point of contention during the SBC meeting was over an amendment — known as the Law Amendment — to the SBC’s constitution that would have clarified the boundaries of cooperation. Feb 23, 2024 · Virginia pastor Mike Law introduced an amendment to the SBC Constitution in 2022 to add language related to women serving in pastoral ministry. We must also pass the Law Amendment for future generations of Southern Baptists, both those who will be in the pews and those who are preparing to take the pulpit. The Law Amendment is UNNECESSARY! Last year, in New Orleans, we voted to remove two churches that were decidedly NOT complementarian, Fern Creek and Saddleback. With 8,298 messengers voting, the 5,099 ballots to pass the amendment reflected 61. Nashville, TN 37203 Re: A Call to Keep Our Unity Dear SBC Executive Committee: My name is Mike Law and I have the privilege of serving as a pastor of Arlington Baptist Church in Arlington, VA. The movement to pass a constitutional amendment demanding adherence to the ban on female pastors and preachers is Mike Law, who serves as pastor of another Southern Baptist church located 4 miles away from First Baptist in Alexandria. Family Policy Alliance battles ‘Satan’ with plan to end abortion and IVF, outlaw porn, stop transgender identity and take over public schools Jun 12, 2024 · Pastor Spence Shelton, who opposed the amendment, argued on the floor the denomination has not gone soft on the authority of Scripture. The Need for Confessional Clarity in the SBC. SBC Executive Committee 901 Commerce St. The second vote is scheduled for this June. It must pass by a two-thirds majority at the SBC annual meeting this year in Indianapolis in order to go into effect. As the Constitution stands, Article III, Section 1 delineates five qualifications a church must meet to be deemed in friendly cooperation with the Convention. May 24, 2024 · By Lonnie WilkeyTennessee Baptist and Reflector EDITOR’S NOTE: Mike Law, senior pastor of Arlington Baptist Church in Virginia, introduced an amendment to the SBC Constitution that was approved on first vote at the SBC annual meeting last year in New Orleans. If elected as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, my pledge is two-fold: Jun 13, 2023 · A campaign for the amendment, led by Virginia pastor Mike Law, has garnered support in recent months. I will be voting for the Law Amendment for the following reasons: 1. Jun 12, 2024 · INDIANAPOLIS (BP) — Southern Baptist messengers voted down the required second two-thirds approval for what has become known as the Law Amendment on Wednesday morning. They just wanted to build a statue to commemorate their victory. I think this is a miscalculation of the cultural moment in which we stand. ” Therefore, the Law amendment answers the committee’s request, and also answers Southern Baptists who have misunderstood the Bible’s and the Jun 12, 2024 · In a highly anticipated vote on the final day of this year’s Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, messengers narrowly defeated the proposed Law Amendment which specified that only men can serve “as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture. 45% to 38. Regarding the Law Amendment, those supporting it are Allen, Moore and Pressley with Moore noting a fear of where it could leave if the amendment isn’t approved. 66% of the votes to be ratified. Mar 21, 2024 · “The Law Amendment treats gender just as the SBC has historically treated all non-white races: Your race is a disqualification; now, your gender is a disqualification,” he wrote. ” Read the full story Jun 11, 2024 · This is not healthy for the SBC. ” Jun 12, 2024 · During last year’s annual meeting in New Orleans, messengers adopted a motion by Mike Law, pastor of Arlington (Va. Feb 21, 2024 · This constitutional amendment specifies that SBC churches in friendly cooperation with the SBC may only employ men in any role with the title of “pastor. The vote will likely cause separation either way Sign The Letter of Support. 1 Tim 2:12–13 ; 1 Tim 3:1–7 ; Titus 1:6–9 ) and the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 ( Section VI. The proposal needed 66. Jun 12, 2024 · Messengers voted against the proposed Law Amendment that specified only men can serve as pastors or elders in SBC churches. Mar 18, 2024 · The sky doesn’t fall if we vote to ratify. “Fidelity, Clarity, and Unity” Read the talk that Pastor Mike gave in defense of the Amendment at FBC Lawton, OK on April 16, 2024 Feb 21, 2024 · Meanwhile, the most controversial thing currently on the agenda for the June annual meeting is a second reading of the Law Amendment, which would amend the SBC Constitution to exclude from membership any church that employs female pastors or even publicly supports the concept of female pastors. Denny Burk: Yeah, absolutely. I’m not the SBC’s lawyer. Vote to ratify the Law Amendment in Indianapolis on June 10-11 and resist attempts to obstruct the Amendment by changing its wording or delaying it until next year. ” Mar 29, 2023 · Series Overview Part 1: The Scriptures address the pastoral office, not just a “Senior” pastor. “They did not have to win the Law Amendment to win the war. The SBC cannot bind a future meeting of the convention. ” May 15, 2024 · Messengers to the 2024 SBC annual meeting in June will vote on an amendment which would add a sixth subparagraph to Article III, Paragraph 1 of the SBC Constitution. The amendment was passed by approximately 80% of the SBC's messengers by raised ballot. Feb 7, 2024 · The Law Amendment seeks to clarify the extent of complementarian commitments within the SBC, answering this question: can a church remain in good standing with the Southern Baptist Convention if they have women staff members holding the title of pastor? May 28, 2024 · Editor’s Note: Mike Law, senior pastor of Arlington Baptist Church in Virginia, introduced an amendment to the SBC Constitution that was approved on first vote at the SBC annual meeting last year in New Orleans. Law proposed the amendment during the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting this past summer. 45 percent) of the Law Amendment and 3,999 against (38. The same May 1, 2024 · The Law Amendment, proposed initially by Virginia pastor Mike Law, passed on first reading at last year’s annual SBC in New Orleans by the required two-thirds vote. Feb 27, 2024 · At our annual meeting in 2023, SBC messengers passed the first approval of a constitutional amendment (what’s come to be known as the “Law Amendment”), which states that the Convention will only deem a church to be in friendly cooperation with the Convention which: “Affirms, appoints, or employs only men… Jun 6, 2024 · The Law Amendment has become a litmus test in the SBC in which opponents of the measure, often due to concerns about the potential impact on church governance, are defending against claims they What is really at stake here is conviction. This week’s second vote on a proposed SBC constitutional amendment, called the Law Amendment, would put Dunwoody at odds with the SBC once again. 12% majority ruling. ” During last year’s annual meeting in New Orleans, messengers adopted a motion by Jan 30, 2024 · “The SBC already requires that churches limit the office of pastor to men without the Law amendment,” Barber said, recounting the lopsided votes at the 2023 meeting in New Orleans to remove two churches from friendly cooperation with the SBC based on this issue. Don’t be lulled by the failure of the Law Amendment | Analysis by Mark Wingfield. I support ratification of the Law Amendment for four main reasons: Scripture is clear. The change, authored by Pastor Mike Law and known as the Law Amendment, would have added a doctrinal position that is stated in the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 (BFM) but is not present in the convention’s constitution. That is that trustees of the Executive Committee have gone on record for a second time opposing the Law Amendment. June 12, 2024 by Dave Miller. 45 percent approval, falling short of the requ Jun 5, 2024 · The Need for Confessional Clarity in the SBC. Much is being made about the failure of the—so-called—Law Amendment which would have amended the SBC constitution to require churches in cooperation with the SBC to have only qualified men serving as pastors. May 29, 2024 · The Law Amendment aims to codify a complementarian position on the pastorate in the SBC Constitution. They discuss his long journey to submitting this amendment, concerns regarding women pastors in the SBC (is it REALLY an issue?) and more. If approved, it would establish a condition for churches to affiliate with the SBC: specifically, no women within the church would be permitted to hold the title of pastor. ” The motion was referred to the SBC Executive Committee. The Property Law Act, R. The 10,946 registered messengers to the SBC Annual Meeting June 11-12, which included 439 South Carolinians, approved the recommendations of a Cooperation Group […] The Law Amendment. This is the Southern Baptist position on the office of Pastor/Elder/Overseer and is made clear in Article VI of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 . The Amendment would clarify that we in fact functionally practice what we profess to affirm: that “While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men Jun 18, 2024 · Rejecting the Law Amendment. 38 percent). The Law Amendment adds language to the SBC constitution that states a church will not be in friendly cooperation unless it “Affirms, appoints, or employs only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture. The Amendment . May 28, 2024 · “The SBC already requires that churches limit the office of pastor to men without the Law amendment,” he said, citing the votes at the 2023 Annual Meeting. During a June 12 meeting in New Orleans one day before the opening of the annual meeting, Executive Committee members agreed to add to their report a request for an up-or-down vote on the amendment proposed last year by Virginia pastor Mike Law. Jun 12, 2024 · Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) messengers failed to get enough votes to approve an amendment to the SBC constitution banning women from holding the office of pastor. If given 2/3 approval at this year’s meeting, the amendment would become part of the SBC Constitution. Jun 5, 2024 · Over the past two years, the SBC has ousted six churches, including Saddleback Community Church, which had women as pastors. This proposed constitutional amendment is up for a second and final vote this year. When Mike Law originally offered this amendment, his proposed language read, “Does not affirm, appoint, or employ a woman as a pastor of any kind. Jun 12, 2024 · The motion, which was approved last year with a reported two-thirds raised ballots, required a two-thirds vote again in 2024 to take effect. Mike Law circulated a letter last year informing the Southern Baptist Convention that […] May 15, 2024 · The Law Amendment, proposed initially by Virginia pastor Mike Law, passed on first reading at last year’s annual SBC in New Orleans by the required two-thirds vote. ” Only churches may be affiliated with the SBC, so this requirement would apply to any church seeking to be in “friendly cooperation” with the denomination. The amendment faced opposition from some messengers who argued that it was unnecessary and harmful to women's ministry in the denomination. Jun 11, 2024 · INDIANAPOLIS (BP) — Discussions over the Law Amendment, sexual abuse reform and cooperation in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) were parts of a discussion among panelists at a breakfast hosted by Baptist21 on Tuesday morning, June 11. 38% the Law Amendment failed to reach the 2/3 majority! He is the editor of SBC Voices. FIRST-PERSON: A perspective on the proposed SBC amendment regarding women in pastoral ministry Jun 13, 2024 · The debate over the Law Amendment headed into this year’s annual meeting and the final vote muddied the conversations over which traditions the SBC should retain and which to reject. The amendment received a majority but not the two-thirds majority required by the SBC Constitution. Jun 14, 2023 · The amendment passed against the recommendation of the SBC Executive Committee. May 28, 2024 · The Southern Baptist Convention will soon consider final action on an amendment to the SBC Constitution stating that a cooperating Southern Baptist church “affirms, appoints, or employs only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture. Jun 12, 2024 · He also said that despite the failure to pass the Law Amendment, which would have added a constitutional ban on churches with female pastors of any kind, the SBC remains committed to Read the paper submitted to the Executive Committee for the February 2023 Meeting when Pastor Mike made his case for the Amendment. Feb 1, 2024 · This June at the 2024 SBC Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, messengers will vote on a constitutional amendment that has come to be known as the “Law amendment” after Mike Law, the Virginia pastor who submitted the motion calling for it. . “I think that when we face extremely confusing and convoluted questions, we ought to just let the messenger body pray about it and sort that out,” Barber said. “I am in favor of providing clarity to our complementarian theology, but not the Law Amendment, as it raises more questions than it answers and will lead to May 11, 2023 · The SBC president gives his thoughts on the amendment as he wanders his property on a cloudy day. Virginia pastor Mike Law speaks June 14, 2023, to a motion he put forward at the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting regarding women filling the role of pastor. We did not need the Law Amendment to do so. Law Amendment (ban on women pastors) Messengers cast 5,099 ballots in favor (61. As SBC moves toward second vote on Law Amendment, debate continues on just what it means. INDIANAPOLIS (BP) — The night before their names would come before the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in one of the most memorable SBC elections in recent memory, the six presidential candidates answered questions related to the so-called Law Amendment, sexual abuse reform, the roles and responsibilities of the SBC president, among other topics. 12 Section 1 PROPERTY LAW AMENDMENT ACT, 2022 CHAPTER 12 Assented to June 2, 2022. If the Law Amendment passes on second reading, Dunwoody likely would be reported to the SBC Credentials Committee and expelled from the denomination. Jun 12, 2024 · They did not have to win the Law Amendment to win the war. Sep 7, 2023 · Mike Law’s motion made at the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting received a slight amendment by Juan Sanchez in New Orleans this June before receiving a first vote approval at the 2023 annual meeting. Jun 12, 2024 · Pressley was among three of the six original candidates for SBC president this year who supported the Law Amendment, or the proposed measure to enshrine a ban on women pastors. May 21, 2024 · The Law amendment will add that the only type of cooperating church with the SBC is the one that “affirms, appoints, or employs only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture. The Law Amendment is the current effort to add the biblical requirement for male pastors into the constitution of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). Jun 12, 2024 · The Law Amendment, which would have restricted pastoral roles to men, did not pass the second vote at the 2024 SBC annual meeting. Part 2: The Substantial (historic) teaching of prominent SBC leaders addresses the pastoral office, not just a “Senior” pastor. HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia, enacts as follows: 1. Some supporters of the Law Amendment have claimed close to 2,000 of the SBC’s 47,000 churches may have women with the title of pastor, most in a supporting role. First, the SBC should pass the Law amendment, and if I am elected, I will encourage the credentials committee to enforce the constitution, with the Law amendment added, in defining what is a cooperating Southern Baptist church. Jun 22, 2023 · The amendment passed against the recommendation of the SBC Executive Committee. In short, it failed to get a 2/3 vote at the 2024 SBC and failed to be adopted by the messengers of the SBC. Jul 14, 2023 · He was elected SBC president in 2018 and served three years — one more than traditional — due to the pandemic. However, Law’s proposal, which was referred to the SBC Executive Committee last year, was amended this year by a motion offered by Juan Sanchez, pastor of High Pointe Baptist Church in Austin, Texas. Learn how this affects the partnership and cooperation among Southern Baptist churches and the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. However, the majority fell short of the two-thirds (66. The Law Amendment was affirmed at the 2023 annual meeting in New Orleans. More than 700 Southern Baptist pastors have cosigned the letter, along with two professors at SBC seminaries. It is today. While Greear believes the amendment would be problematic to church cooperation within the SBC, many disagree with his position. He compared adoption of the Law Amendment to the U. Mike Law presented his own amendment to the floor: “I move that the Constitution of the Southern Baptist Convention be amended to include an enumerated 6th item under Article 3, Paragraph 1 As of June 2023, there are currently over 1000 SBC churches with female pastors. CLICK THIS LINK TO SIGN. ” Jun 14, 2023 · The proposed amendment to the SBC constitution, spearheaded by Virginia Pastor Mike Law of Arlington Baptist Church, passed Wednesday afternoon following a vote from over 12,000 messengers gathered at the denomination's annual meeting in New Orleans. Both were done before people had May 22, 2024 · EDITOR’S NOTE: Mike Law, senior pastor of Arlington Baptist Church in Virginia, introduced an amendment to the SBC Constitution that was approved on first vote at the SBC annual meeting last year in New Orleans. The motion was amended by Texas pastor Juan Sanchez at the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting and received the first needed vote of a two-thirds majority. The evidence of complementarity is found in the appropriately high bar that is set for constitutional amendments to pass. Jun 12, 2024 · The originating pastor of the law amendment, Pastor Mike Law of Arlington, Va. Related articles: Second vote on Law Amendment will take the spotlight at this summer’s SBC annual meeting. The committee said it believed the topic was already sufficiently addressed through the Baptist Faith and Message, which states that “While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture. May 24, 2024 · What is the Law Amendment proposal and the debate regarding women in ministry in the Southern Baptist Convention about? Historic First Baptist Church of Richmond, Va. Get Involved Our goal is to amend the SBC constitution in Article 3, Paragraph 1 to read, “. Jun 12, 2024 · Without the Law amendment, the SBC can still cut ties with churches with female lead pastors (as it did last year) and churches that believe women and men are equally eligible for pastor roles (as it did this year), but not necessarily churches with "women pastors of any kind. B. It is true that the failure of the amendment to pass is discouraging to those of us who advocated for it. But this battle is not over. They’ll do so while not knowing what the outcome of the vote on the Law Amendment will be. Jun 12, 2024 · The Law Amendment, which would have restricted senior pastor roles to men only, did not get the required two-thirds majority at the SBC annual meeting in Indianapolis. Moore, a vocal supporter of the amendment, called the outcome of the vote “devastating. The SBC already has boundaries for cooperation, and they are set forth in Article III of the SBC Constitution. Commentary: SBC CEO on the Law Amendment May 22, 2024 The Southern Baptist Convention will soon consider final action on an amendment to the SBC Constitution stating that a cooperating Southern Baptist church “affirms, appoints, or employs only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture. A vote to adopt this Amendment brings clarity to SBC churches, to the Credentials Committee, and to the Convention as a whole. Those invited to sign must be “pastors/elders in SBC churches and professors in SBC seminaries Jun 13, 2023 · The motion, introduced to messengers at last year’s SBC annual meeting by Virginia pastor Mike Law, calls for an amendment to the SBC Constitution whereby a sixth identifier would be placed to Article III, paragraph 1. May 21, 2024 · The Law Amendment is not, philosophically or methodologically, a new thing. 1. So a part of this is just people don’t know how the SBC works. They will have decisively determined that the BFM represents their doctrinal standard of unity and cooperation. All Pastors/Elders in SBC churches and Professors in SBC seminaries are welcome to sign. Jun 12, 2024 · This year's vote was the second consecutive decision on the measure — commonly called the “Law Amendment,” bearing the namesake of the original petitioner Virginia pastor Mike Law — after Jun 14, 2023 · Another two-thirds vote of approval is necessary at next year’s annual meeting to proceed with the amendment to Article III of the SBC Constitution. Because really right now, if somebody wanted to weaponize our constitution, they could just do it. Jun 4, 2024 · Consequently, and sadly, as the second reading of the Law Amendment is considered at the 2024 SBC annual meeting in Indianapolis next week, women in ministry will once again become the targets of conservative backlash against any action that threatens conservative male power by affirming women’s value. , faces crucial vote on severing ties with SBC over Law Amendment. ” May 21, 2024 · The Executive Board also discusses a proposed statement regarding the Law Amendment, which is facing a vote at the June 11-13 SBC annual meeting in Indianapolis. This is in direct contradiction to both God’s Word (i. Once approved, the Board-crafted statement, which addresses what it means to be in “friendly cooperation” as it relates to the woman pastor issue, will be shared via various Jun 26, 2023 · The vote resulted from a motion made during the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting by Mike Law, pas[1]tor of Arlington Baptist Church in Virginia. The amendment is named after a Virginia pastor who proposed it at last year’s gathering in New Orleans. Apr 30, 2024 · Moore is a candidate for SBC president. Seek to restore an eroding trust among many Southern Baptists by calling for transparency at every level. ” Women in the SBC are no more safe or welcome today than they were yesterday. Lambert asked if the amendment would require churches to limit the pastoral office to men. Moore cited Clary’s support of the so-called “Law Amendment” and Internal Revenue Service Form 990 financial disclosures of SBC entities in announcing the intended nomination, as well as Clary’s 25-year career in Christian ministry. S. Speaking in favor of the amendment at the 2024 annual meeting, Law called on messengers to “side with Scripture,” asserting a vote in favor of the amendment was “a May 6, 2024 · The Law Amendment, proposed initially by Virginia pastor Mike Law, passed on first reading at last year’s annual SBC in New Orleans by the required two-thirds vote. ” Jun 11, 2024 · Others say that the Law Amendment has the unintended consequences of transforming the SBC into a top-down denomination (an invalid argument, since enforcing membership criteria does not give the SBC more control over local churches). For decades now, Southern Baptists have known what a pastor is. ” The rejection of the law amendment comes as the SBC also voted on a new president. May 22, 2024 · The Law Amendment brings needed clarity in a new cultural context, as we have done with racism and sexual abuse. ” Feb 20, 2024 · The SBC Executive Committee is meeting this week in Nashville to set the Cooperative Program budget for 2024, which will be voted on at the SBC annual meeting this summer. Twenty-four years ago, female pastors were not an issue. Mike Law speaks for the Law Amendment during the second report of the SBC Executive Committee at the 2024 SBC Annual Meeting. Jun 12, 2024 · Mike Law, pastor of Arlington Baptist Church in Virginia and author of the amendment, cited a report that there are about 1,800 women pastors working in the denomination. " — kate shellnutt (@kateshellnutt) June 12, 2024 Jul 12, 2023 · The Law Amendment places churches with a woman on staff they call pastor in that same category. The amendment must receive a second vote of two-thirds majority in Indianapolis in 2024 before it would be added to the constitution. An Exegetical and Theological Case For Male-Only Pastors by Michael Clary – From Eden until today, God’s created order for men and women remains the same. Congress passing the legislation creating Obamacare in 2010 before the ink was dry on the 828-page bill. Apr 11, 2024 · What is the Law amendment? In the SBC’s 2022 annual meeting, Michael Law, a pastor at Arlington Baptist Church in Virginia, proposed a motion that the convention amend its constitution to read, “does not affirm . Jun 11, 2024 · Photo by Luc Stringer. Allowing debate on the proposal is not his decision, he explains, but rests with the SBC Executive Committee. If you are a pastor (paid or unpaid) or professor, sign Mike Law’s letter urging the SBC Executive Committee to propose and support the amendment at the annual meeting (2,000+ signatories so far!). And if the Law Amendment passes, that’s not going to mean May 29, 2024 · The Law Amendment has its critics, but their arguments often discourage support despite affirming the complementarian doctrine it represents. which . The amendment was unnecessary, he argued, since the SBC has proven it has the "mechanisms" in place to disfellowship churches. Churches “in friendly cooperation” with the SBC, it stated, would “not affirm, appoint, or employ a woman as a pastor Jun 13, 2024 · RELATED: SBC Will Not Add Language Banning Women Pastors to Constitution; Law Amendment Fails To Get Two-Thirds Majority. Second vote on Law Amendment will take the spotlight at this summer’s SBC annual meeting. He cited Bible verses Jan 29, 2024 · This June at the 2024 SBC Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, messengers will vote on a constitutional amendment that has come to be known as the “Law amendment” after Mike Law, the Virginia pastor who submitted the motion calling for it. Apr 11, 2024 · “So, if the Law Amendment fails, nobody should look and say, ‘Hey, we can go have women pastors now, and the SBC won’t care’ because the same mechanism that caused Saddleback not to be in friendly cooperation with the SBC will still be in place even if the Law Amendment fails. Jun 13, 2024 · A constitutional amendment to restrict churches affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention to those affirming and employing only men as pastors failed to receive the required two-thirds approval of messengers in Indianapolis. May 17, 2024 · A constitutional change proposed by Mike Law would add a sixth element to Article III of the SBC Constitution to specify that only men can serve as pastors or elders. The convention did not meet in 2020. With enthusiastic backing from a more conservative faction of the SBC, Southern Baptist Feb 21, 2024 · Now, churches, women, and minorities will clearly know if they belong in the SBC who don’t believe the Law Amendment should be a litmus test of orthodoxy. “I pity the SBC local church who would grant the SBC that kind of unilateral authority over women in their church. I’m not your lawyer. The church employs a female children’s pastor. Learn about the proposed constitutional amendment that would prohibit women from serving as pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention. They would be deemed “liberal” by the very vocal, very present ultra-conservatives. The initiative was launched in 2022 after the Credentials Committee delayed a decision about Saddleback Church for having female staff pastors. But we should consider some of the other things that may happen outside of the strict intentions of the amendment. Jun 10, 2024 · The amendment, which was proposed by Pastor Mike Law of Arlington Baptist Church in Virginia, will become permanent if it gains majority support at the SBC's Annual Meeting which kicked off on Sunday in Indianapolis, Indiana. Requests from my African American brothers and others who disagree with the Law Amendment to remain in the SBC until this matter reached resolution, is why I have remained thus far. Jun 8, 2024 · Pastor Dwight McKissic, a Texas pastor who has criticized the SBC for not having more African American leaders in executive positions and successfully pushed messengers at past annual meetings to pass resolutions condemning white supremacy and criticizing the Confederate flag, said in an interview that passage of the Law Amendment would prompt Feb 16, 2024 · That’s out of order. e. Apr 30, 2024 · If the SBC’s constitutional amendment passes, hundreds of churches are expected to depart the SBC or be kicked out. * Feb 27, 2024 · At our annual meeting in 2023, SBC messengers passed the first approval of a constitutional amendment (what’s come to be known as the “Law Amendment”), which states that the Convention will only deem a church to be in friendly cooperation with the Convention which: “Affirms, appoints, or employs only men as any kind of pastor or elder May 1, 2024 · The Law Amendment, proposed initially by Virginia Pastor Mike Law, passed on first reading at last year’s SBC annual meeting in New Orleans by the required two-thirds vote. Jun 12, 2024 · Messengers voted 61% in favor of the Law Amendment on Wednesday morning, falling short of the required two-thirds majority for constitutional amendments. Jun 12, 2024 · Mike Law, pastor of Arlington Baptist Church in Arlington, Va. Jun 12, 2024 · Pastor Mike Law of Arlington Baptist Church in Virginia proposed the Law amendment at the SBC's Annual Meeting in June 2023. Part 4: The Sources (authors) of the […] May 30, 2024 · EDITOR’S NOTE: Mike Law, senior pastor of Arlington Baptist Church in Virginia, introduced an amendment to the SBC Constitution that was approved on first vote at the SBC annual meeting last year in New Orleans. If the Law Amendment is ratified at the upcoming annual meeting, Southern Baptists will have taken a clear stand, not only for complementarianism, but confessionalism. I think the overwhelming majority of Southern Baptists joyfully embrace complimentary and the Law amendment gives good clarity for that. What Is the Law Amendment? The so-called Law Amendment is an effort to change the SBC Constitution to clarify that the only kind of church in friendly cooperation with the convention is one that “Affirms, appoints, or employs only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture. I Learn About All That God Has Done In 2024 View Our Annual Report Aug 11, 2023 · And the third is a news report with an ominous headline about the Law Amendment, “Greear foresees ‘nationwide hunt’ if SBC amendment passes. After passing overwhelmingly at the SBC Annual Meeting in 2023, during the 2024 Annual Meeting it only Dec 1, 2023 · The Law Amendment would add a new membership requirement in the SBC Constitution: “Does not affirm, appoint or employ a woman as a pastor of any kind. Find answers to common questions and objections on this issue. May 22, 2024 · When the SBC Executive Committee forwarded the amendment to the convention in 2023, it did so with a recommendation that the amendment be declined. By a vote if 61. The Law Amendment. I will not vote for the Law Amendment and encourage the SBC to defeat it for the following reasons. The ‘Law Amendment,’ as it is called, states that a church will be in friendly cooperation only if it “affirms, appoints, or employs only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture. The Bible has not changed. Jun 10, 2024 · The SBC voting members reaffirmed that decision last summer. Jun 6, 2024 · The ‘Law’ Amendment: Cooperation and Complementarianism in the SBC Last year I publicly said that the Law Amendment would have deleterious—even if unintended—consequences. hzufxwp ofxr kxfbqxc urztbp uyq stnrm ddfu vebtar ybe zrs