The Southern Baptist Convention has expelled Saddleback church, one of its largest congregations, due to its appointment of a female pastor.
On Tuesday, the SBC executive committee approved a recommendation from its credentials committee that the California-based megachurch be labeled as “not in friendly cooperation with the convention”.
Saddleback church “has a faith and practice that does not closely identify with the convention’s adopted statement of faith, as demonstrated by the church having a female teaching pastor functioning in the office of pastor”, the Associated Press quoted the executive committee as saying.
The pastor in question is Stacie Wood, the wife of Andy Wood, who leads the church as head pastor.
Saddleback was founded in the 1980s by the influential pastor and author Rick Warren. In 2021, it stirred controversy after Warren ordained three women as pastors, in contradiction of the denomination’s statement of beliefs.
According to the statement: “While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by scripture.”
Last year, Warren addressed delegates at the annual SBC convention in Anaheim, California, with an emotional plea, saying: “We have to decide if we will treat each other as allies or adversaries.”
In response to its ousting, the church released a statement reviewed by the AP that said: “We love and have always valued our relationship with the SBC and its faithful churches … We will engage and respond through the proper channels at the appropriate time in hopes to serve other like-minded, Bible-believing SBC churches.
“Meanwhile, we remain focused on following God’s leadership to love and serve our church family and the communities around our campuses.”
Warren responded to the expulsion on Twitter, saying: “Friends worldwide: I’m so touched by your love! Kay and I love you back!”
He and his wife, Kay Warren, would respond to the SBC “in our time and way thru [sic] direct channels”, he said.
Last September, the SBC executive committee voted to sever ties with an LGBTQ-friendly church in North Carolina that voted in 1999 to leave the denomination.
According to the committee, College Park Baptist church of Greensboro, was not in “friendly cooperation” because of its “open affirmation, approval and endorsement of homosexual behavior”.
Last year, the SBC was the subject of a seven-month sexual abuse investigation which found that leaders stonewalled and denigrated survivors of clergy sexual abuse.
“Our investigation revealed that, for many years, a few senior [executive committee] leaders, along with outside counsel, largely controlled the … response to these reports of abuse … and were singularly focused on avoiding liability for the SBC,” the report said.
“In service of this goal, survivors and others who reported abuse were ignored, disbelieved, or met with the constant refrain that the SBC could take no action due to its policy regarding church autonomy – even if it meant that convicted molesters continued in ministry with no notice or warning to their current church or congregation.”
