Doctrine and Mission

Tag: southern baptist convention

  • Sound Doctrine Still Matters: Why the Renewed Law-Sanchez Amendment Deserves Our Support

    Southern Baptists have long stood on the twin pillars of sound doctrine and the Great Commission. For nearly two centuries, our cooperative mission has been built not on centralized authority but on shared, biblical convictions—most clearly expressed in our confessional statement, the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 (BFM2000).

    But in recent years, that doctrinal unity has been tested. Growing confusion over the biblical qualifications for pastors, along with inconsistent responses to churches that depart from our confession, have made it clear: we need clarity.

    That is why we support the renewed effort to adopt the Law-Sanchez Amendment in 2025.

    Why the Law Amendment Was Proposed

    In 2023, Pastor Mike Law of Arlington, Virginia, submitted a motion to amend the SBC Constitution. The proposed language was clear and biblical:

    “A church in friendly cooperation with the Convention… affirms, appoints, or employs only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture.”

    This amendment did not introduce new theology—it sought to ensure that our constitutional documents reflect the biblical doctrine already affirmed in the BFM2000, which states:

    “While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.”

    At the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting in New Orleans, the amendment received overwhelming support, passing with over 80% of the vote—the first of two votes required for constitutional amendments.

    The 2024 Setback and the NewSpring Church Controversy

    In 2024, at the SBC Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, the Law Amendment fell short of the two-thirds vote needed for final adoption. Though a majority still supported it, the defeat sent mixed signals about where the Convention stands on confessional clarity.

    That confusion was quickly magnified when the SBC Credentials Committee ruled that NewSpring Church in Anderson, South Carolina, remained in friendly cooperation with the Convention—despite having a woman, Meredith Knox, serve publicly as a “teaching pastor” who regularly preaches.

    NewSpring maintains that only men can serve as “lead pastors” or elders, but the title and role of “teaching pastor” clearly places Knox in a pastoral office—contrary to the BFM2000. Despite this, the Credentials Committee declined to recommend disfellowship, stating that there was not enough clarity in the SBC Constitution to make that determination.

    This moment exposed the urgent need for the very clarity the Law Amendment was designed to provide.

    A Renewed Effort in 2025: The Law-Sanchez Amendment

    Now, in 2025, a renewed effort is underway—spearheaded by faithful leaders including Juan Sanchez—to bring the amendment forward again for a vote. The language remains consistent:

    “A church in friendly cooperation with the Convention… affirms, appoints, or employs only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture.”

    This is not about controlling local churches. It is about defining what cooperation means. Churches are autonomous—they can structure leadership as they choose. But the SBC is likewise autonomous in determining the terms of friendly cooperation. We are not obligated to cooperate with churches that depart from Scripture on the nature of the pastoral office.

    This amendment would bring our Constitution into alignment with our confession and allow our committees to act with integrity and consistency.

    Why It Matters

    This is not a side issue. It is about our shared identity, our theological integrity, and our missional effectiveness. If we cannot clearly define what a pastor is—and if we do not hold ourselves accountable to the doctrines we affirm—we risk losing both our unity and our witness.

    Supporting the Law-Sanchez Amendment:

    • Reaffirms our commitment to the sufficiency of Scripture
    • Clarifies expectations for churches in friendly cooperation
    • Equips SBC leaders and committees to act consistently
    • Protects the mission by upholding biblical church order

    Confessional cooperation is the bedrock of our work together. If that foundation is compromised, our future mission will falter.

    A Call to Faithful Clarity

    The SBC does not need more division or more politics. It needs more clarity, more biblical conviction, and more faithfulness.

    In a culture where truth is negotiable and roles are reinvented, we must not lose our grip on Scripture. The Law-Sanchez Amendment is an opportunity to plant our feet firmly on the Word of God—for the good of our churches and the glory of Christ.

    Let’s speak clearly, act faithfully, and cooperate courageously.

    Let us adopt the Law-Sanchez Amendment in 2025.

    Because sound doctrine still matters. And it always will.

  • Holding Fast: Our Confessional Heritage in an Age of Cultural Chaos

    In a world of shifting opinions and constantly changing headlines, we need anchors. We need truth that doesn’t bend to the whims of culture or buckle under the pressure of public opinion. For Southern Baptists, that anchor has always been the Word of God—and flowing from it, a historic commitment to sound doctrine. That commitment has been expressed, defended, and passed down through our confessions of faith.

    The New Hampshire Confession: Clarity and Charity

    One of the most influential Baptist confessions in American history is the New Hampshire Confession of Faith, written in 1833. It emerged at a time when Baptists were growing rapidly across the United States and needed a clear, concise, and accessible summary of core Baptist beliefs. While earlier confessions like the Second London Baptist Confession (1689) were more comprehensive and theologically rich, the New Hampshire Confession was crafted with clarity and unity in mind—especially for churches across the growing American frontier.

    It was doctrinally sound, biblically rooted, and pastorally sensitive. It affirmed the authority of Scripture, salvation by grace through faith, believer’s baptism, and the autonomy of the local church. While it wasn’t exhaustive, it served as a unifying document among Baptists, particularly in the North and later in the South.

    The Baptist Faith and Message: A Confession for Cooperation

    When the Southern Baptist Convention was formed in 1845, it did not initially adopt a confessional statement. But as the Convention grew and formal institutions developed, leaders recognized the need for a clear doctrinal foundation. In 1925, under the leadership of E.Y. Mullins, the SBC adopted its first official confession: the Baptist Faith and Message—a modern adaptation of the New Hampshire Confession.

    This confession was not meant to replace the Bible, but to summarize what Southern Baptists believe the Bible teaches. It served as a confessional guardrail—a doctrinal standard to protect the integrity of our seminaries, our churches, and our mission.

    Revisions for the Right Reasons

    The Baptist Faith and Message has been revised three times—in 1963, 1998, and 2000—but not to chase cultural trends. On the contrary, these revisions came in response to cultural and theological drift.

    • In 1963, under the leadership of Herschel Hobbs, the BFM was revised to address theological liberalism and reaffirm the authority of Scripture.
    • In 1998, a statement on the family was added, affirming biblical roles for men and women in the home and church as culture increasingly redefined gender and marriage.
    • In 2000, under the leadership of Adrian Rogers, the BFM was revised again to clarify core doctrines, reinforce complementarianism, and underscore the exclusivity of Christ.

    Each revision was a response to error, not an accommodation of it. Southern Baptists have never been perfect, but we have long recognized that faithfulness requires clarity, especially when the truths of Scripture are under attack.

    Our Future in a World of Noise

    We now live in an age where truth is treated as personal, feelings are elevated over facts, and cultural winds shift by the day. Social media reshapes public opinion in hours. Newsfeeds flood us with competing narratives. Even among churches, doctrinal conviction is often traded for cultural acceptance or organizational pragmatism.

    But if we lose our doctrinal foundations, we lose everything.

    The Southern Baptist commitment to sound doctrine is not just a nod to the past—it is a necessity for the future. We cannot fulfill the Great Commission without the true gospel. We cannot build healthy churches without a right understanding of Scripture. We cannot pass the faith to the next generation if we don’t clearly articulate what we believe and why.

    Our confessions are not relics of a bygone era. They are roadmaps—guiding us back to the truth in every generation. And in a day of chaos, they call us to stand firm.

    A Call to Hold Fast

    As Southern Baptists, we must hold fast to our confessional heritage—not out of nostalgia, but out of conviction. The winds of culture will continue to shift. Pressures will mount to soften our doctrine, redefine our beliefs, or remain silent for the sake of acceptance. But we must be people who, like Paul, say: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16).

    We have a gospel to proclaim, a truth to defend, and a foundation that cannot be moved.

    Let us be the kind of people who know what we believe, hold it with courage, and teach it with clarity. Let our churches be marked by doctrinal soundness, gospel conviction, and missional urgency—not because the culture demands it, but because Christ is worthy.

    The world will keep changing. But God’s Word will not.

    And neither must we.

    Let us remain steadfast—rooted in Scripture, faithful to our confession, and unwavering in our mission to make Christ known among the nations.