Southern Baptists are debating the level of male authority.
Jennifer Brown, the pastor of a small church in a small city, expresses frustration when it comes to Mother’s Day. She despises it because it was the only occasion in her Southern Baptist upbringing where she was allowed to take the pulpit. However, even then, it was referred to as a “reflection” rather than a sermon, and a male pastor would introduce her, signifying his authorization of her presence.
Within the Southern Baptist community, preaching to both genders is considered a man’s responsibility. When evangelical celebrity Beth Moore tweeted in 2019 that she would be leading a Mother’s Day service, she humorously added, “please don’t tell anyone.” She was astonished by the ensuing uproar and eventually disassociated herself from the Southern Baptist denomination two years later.
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the largest Protestant denomination in America with 13.2 million followers, has long viewed women as subordinate to men. The preferred term for this belief is “complementarianism,” which asserts that men and women have distinct but equal roles, with men holding spiritual authority. Women are allowed to be Bible teachers but not preachers, and they can only instruct other women or children. “I thrive under my husband’s headship,” says Erin Wheeler, a Bible teacher and pastor’s wife in Fayetteville, Arkansas. “There’s no oppression in it.”
2023-06-08 08:48:57
Article from www.economist.com
