“California megachurch Saddleback Church, founded by prominent Christian leader and best-selling author Rick Warren, was disfellowshipped from the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) on Tuesday over having a female pastor. Officials on the Executive Committee voted out one of the largest churches in the United States less than a year after Warren delivered his final sermon as Saddleback’s senior pastor and ushered in lead pastor Andy Wood and his wife, Stacie, who serves as a teaching pastor. Due to the church continuing to have a female functioning in the office of pastor, SBC Executive Committee Chairman Jared Wellman told The Daily Wire in a statement that the convention ousted the 43-year-old megachurch, as it is ‘not in friendly cooperation’ with the denomination. Wood told The Associated Press last year that the Bible ‘teaches that men and women were given spiritual gifts by God. The church should be a place where both men and women can exercise those spiritual gifts. My wife has the spiritual gift of teaching, and she is really good. People often tell me she’s better than me when it comes to preaching, and I’m really glad to hear that.’ The move from the convention also comes after Warren ordained three women as pastors in May 2021, sparking the initial discussion to remove the church from the SBC, arguing it defied Biblical principles and Article VI in the Baptist Faith and Message. ‘While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of the pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture,’ the article reads. Warren tweeted, ‘We’ll respond to #SBC in OUR time & way thru direct channels: Our newsletters to 600,000 church leaders, 1 million PDC alumni pastors list, 11 million social media followers.’”
“Southern Baptists,” DailyWire, Feb. 22, 2023
CONCLUDING NOTE BY D. CLOUD: Warren’s arrogant response revealed his pragmatism which overrules Scripture. As for the Southern Baptist Convention, this is too little too late. Saddleback should have been disfellowshipped decades ago for its gross heresies and radical ecumenism. By its inaction and failure to speak out for truth, the SBC has allowed Warren’s heresies to spread far and wide. (See Purpose Driven or Scripture Driven, available as a free eBook from www.wayoflife.org.)
(Friday Church News Notes, March 3, 2023, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)
