The Credentials Committee Refuses to Defend the SBC Statement of Faith, Proving the “System” Is Broken
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) finds itself facing another crisis, one that will determine whether we remain steadfast in biblical convictions or continue to let liberal leaders steer us into ever-increasing doctrinal and confessional compromise.
Last June, the Law Amendment, which sought to reaffirm the SBC’s commitment to male-only pastors, should have passed. A majority of messengers supported it, yet it fell short of the two-thirds majority required.
The prevailing argument at the time was that further clarification was unnecessary and that our existing processes, particularly the work of the Credentials Committee, were sufficient to uphold our doctrinal commitment to biblical complementarianism.
We were told the system works, and there was no need to change it. But now, those assurances have proven hollow.
Yesterday, it was revealed that the Credentials Committee has determined that two churches with female pastors are still in “friendly cooperation” with the SBC.
The first church, NewSpring Church, in South Carolina, has a woman “Teaching Pastor” who regularly preaches on Sunday mornings and even introduces herself as a “pastor.” How did the Credentials Committee respond to this?
By saying, “Based on the information available to us, our committee has formed the opinion that NewSpring Church ‘closely identifies with the Convention’s adopted statement of faith’ and should be considered a cooperating church with the Southern Baptist Convention.”
The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 clearly states that “The office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.”
As you can see from Pastor Rhett Burns’ post (also a South Carolina pastor), if what NewSpring is doing “closely identifies” with our statement of faith, then our statement of faith is meaningless.
Even worse, the Credentials Committee is actively working to make it so. The fox is guarding the hen house and assuring us that no danger to our doctine is present.
The second case was Abba’s House in Chattanooga, TN. According to SBTS student Nicholas Evans, who submitted them to the Credentials Committee, “They have five different women on their website with the title of ‘pastor.'”
What was the response? Same as with NewSpring: “Nothing to see here.”
But now everyone can see it. These women not only hold the title of pastor, but they actively preach to the congregation.
This is a direct violation of what Southern Baptists have long believed Scripture teaches about church leadership: “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor” (1 Timothy 2:12-14).
The System Is Broken—Or Is It?
We were told the system works. That turned out to be false. The system is broken. It failed—not “years down the road,” but at its very first test post-law.
If we were to assume the best, then yes, the system is obviously broken. The Credentials Committee is failing at its most basic task. And obviously so. Clearly, we needed the Law Amendment to provide the clarity and instruction that was it’s purpose.
But we need to ask another, more uncomfortable question: Is the system truly broken, or is it functioning exactly as it was designed to?
One SBC pastor, Matthew Sims, suggested there might be an intentional reason why the SBC brass refuses to take decisive action: “The longer they delay it, the more faithful churches leave out of frustration. The more faithful churches leave, the easier it is to undo confessionalism.”
I think he’s on to something. Maybe the broken system functions exactly as those in charge intend. After all, the purpose of a system is what it does.
Most of the leaders who defeated the Law Amendment last year engaged in “intentional delay.” As far as they are concerned, the system is not broken; it is doing what it is designed to do.
They know they would lose a head-to-head battle on egalitarianism in the SBC. They don’t want the peace that comes only after a decisive battle because peace would not go their way. The SBC would rightly purge the egalitarians operating outside of our statement of faith.
Instead, these leaders push this battle down the road and keep the fighting going year after year. Their goal is that over time, good churches get tired of it and leave while culture moves in their direction. Then, when all the good churches are gone, they can make the SBC fully egalitarian.
That is “The Baptist Review Plan,” and they will succeed unless we take action to stop them.
You Are What You Permit
The SBC is now facing an unavoidable reality: We are functionally egalitarian in practice, regardless of what we claim to believe.
When the Credentials Committee affirms women serving in pastoral roles, the message is clear—our stated doctrine is not being upheld. The SBC is not complementarian merely by a statement of faith—it is complementarian only if it holds churches accountable to that standard.
SBC President Clint Pressley has already raised concerns about this troubling decision, stating:
“My understanding is that our Credentials Committee deemed a church in friendly cooperation that has a female teaching pastor. The committee needs to take another look at this one. Our statement of faith is clear about qualifications for a pastor.”
He is right. Every SBC entity leader should follow his example and speak out immediately. The time for silence is over. If we do not course-correct now, we are heading down the same path that other once-faithful denominations have taken—one that leads to biblical compromise, doctrinal confusion, and mission failure.
As Titus 1:9 reminds us: “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.”
The Real Stakes: Cooperation and Mission
This issue is not just about polity; it is about the future of our cooperative mission. As one pastor recently put it: “Why would we continue to partner for missions with a convention that doesn’t even know what a pastor is?”
This is not speculation—churches are already redirecting their Cooperative Program (CP) funding over these concerns. If we continue on this trajectory, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and other SBC mission efforts will soon feel the impact. When doctrinal clarity is lost, confidence in the convention is lost, and funding for our shared mission inevitably follows.
We Must Act Now
The rush towards full egalitarianism is not theoretical—it is happening right now before our eyes.
Those who previously dismissed these concerns as alarmism have been proven wrong. The time for action is now. We must demand that the Credentials Committee reverse course and hold the SBC to its own doctrinal commitments. If we fail to do so, we will continue down a road that leads to denominational fracture and theological compromise.
We need churches, messengers, and men to embrace a Proverbs 24:10-12 spirit: “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, ‘Behold, we did not know this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?”
The Southern Baptist Convention must decide what it truly is. If we claim to be complementarian, then we must function as such.
If we do nothing, we will prove that our convictions are negotiable—and negotiable convictions never survive.
It is time for a bold and unwavering stand—for the sake of our churches, our cooperation, and the mission entrusted to us. Many have walked this path for years, sounding the alarm and urging action. Now, with undeniable clarity before us, may a growing majority rise to hold our convention accountable and safeguard the faithful witness of the SBC.
