The Southern Baptist Convention has decided to cut ties with Saddleback Church, one of the largest churches in the United States, due to the congregation’s decision to ordain three female pastors.
According to the Christian Post, The SBC Executive Committee approved a recommendation from the SBC Credentials Committee on Tuesday to label Saddleback and four other churches as “not in friendly cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention” over their decision to ordain women as pastors.
Saddleback can appeal the expulsion at SBC’s Annual Meeting, which is scheduled to occur in New Orleans, Louisiana, on June 13-14. SBC’s Executive Committee Chairman Jared Wellman said in a statement to Baptist Press that the disaffiliations came because of “the churches continuing to have a female functioning in the office of pastor.”
“As stated in the Baptist Faith and Message Article VI, the SBC holds to the belief that the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture,” stated Wellman. “These churches have been valued, cooperating churches for many years, and this decision was not made lightly. However, we remain committed to upholding the theological convictions of the SBC and maintaining unity among its cooperating churches.”
Launched in 1980 by pastor and bestselling author Rick Warren in California, Saddleback garnered controversy in May 2021 when it ordained three women — Liz Puffer, Cynthia Petty and Katie Edwards — to be pastors.
The move put the megachurch at odds with the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message, the authoritative church rules for the SBC, which restricts the office of pastor to men.
At the June 2021 SBC Annual Meeting, a resolution was offered to break fellowship with Saddleback, with the proposal going to the SBC Credentials Committee.
In June 2022, at the SBC’s Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California, the Credentials Committee announced that it was delaying a decision on the proposal.
Committee Chair Linda Cooper told messengers at the time they had “concluded that we are not yet prepared to make a recommendation regarding Saddleback Church, recognizing there are differing opinions regarding the intent of the office of pastor as stated in the Baptist Faith & Message 2000.”
“We feel it is very important for you to know that it is the unanimous opinion of the Credentials Committee that the majority of Southern Baptists hold to the belief that the function of lead pastor, elder, bishop or overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture,” Cooper added.
Saddleback Pastor Andy Wood, who took over the church after Warren retired and whose wife is also identified by the congregation as a pastor, told the Baptist Press last October that “we are committed to stay in fellowship and unified with other SBC churches even when we disagree.”
