Unless you have been living under a rock, I am sure you heard about Rick Warren’s attempt to maintain friendly cooperation between the church he pastors (Saddleback) and the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). All that means is, the SBC proposed that Saddleback no longer be considered an SBC church and Warren protested their efforts. The reason the SBC ultimately disfellowshipped Saddleback is because they ordained women to be pastors. Such a move is in direct conflict with the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 which states that the office of pastor is reserved for qualified men.

Why do I bring this up?

I want to bring this to your attention because I was surprised by how many church leaders were unaware how to make basic biblical arguments for the SBC’s position. One pastor reached out asking where I stood and how I arrived at such a conclusion. A church nearby was facing a literal split on the issue and the pastor needed counsel on how to teach his congregation.

What really surprised me was the amount of website visits we received during the week of the SBC Annual Meeting. In 2022, Knowing Jesus Ministries (KJM) received a record high 5,500 website visitors in one week. On the day Saddleback was disfellowshipped, however, KJM received nearly 6,000 visitors in one day from south eastern part of the country (the SBC was NOLA). What were they looking for? The information on the topic we’re discussing.

These two articles were the focus of their search.

1. Does the Bible Allow Women to Be Pastors?
2. Does the Bilbe Allow Women to Be Pastors? Common objections answered.

I say all that to say this, if you need resources to help articulate the biblical position on male leadership, and want to do so with clarity and faithfulness, check out these articles. I pray that they would be an encouragement to you and your church.

I also just wrote a third article in this series—Is Pastoring a Spiritual Gift? If So, Can Women Have That Gift, Title?

Be sure to check out my new podcast—Faithful and Fruitful Pastoring. It’s on Spotify and Apple. It’s for pastors and ministry leaders and designed to equip and encourage you for you ministry.