Bigger problems than women pastors

The Saddleback Church (i.e. Saddleback Valley Community Church) in Southern California recently has been a news focus by being out of step with the Southern Baptist Convention on the subject of female pastors. In February2023, the SBC Executive Committee affirmed a recommendation from the Credentials Committee to consider the Saddleback Church “not in friendly cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention.” In Article VI of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, the articles of faith of the SBC state that “the office of pastor /elder /overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.” “Purpose Driven” founding pastor Rick Warren appealed the Executive Committee decision to the meeting of the Convention in June. He appeal failed in a big way – with about 88% of the messengers rejecting the appeal.

In “Turning worship into a clown show” on World News Group, Carl Trueman asserts that “Saddleback Church has even deeper problems than female pastors.”

“Leading worship while dressed as characters from the Toy Story franchise suggests theological problems that go way beyond debates about the nature of Paul’s teaching on eldership.”

“…the church is not called to mimic the world. Far from it. There is only one description in the New Testament of how an outsider should react when he blunders by accident into a church service. It is in 1 Corinthians 14:24–25. Paul tells us that such a person will be convicted and fall on his face, knowing that God is there. Presumably, this is because he finds himself in the presence of a holy God and is overwhelmed by his own sense of unworthiness. Turning worship into a comedy skit seems unlikely to produce the same result. In fact, far from being sensitive to the needs of any seeker, it sends a clear signal that the gospel is unworthy of attention by any serious-minded person, believer or unbeliever.”

“...trivialization of worship rests ultimately upon a trivialization of God Himself.”

“Women in ministry was the focal point of the SBC controversy this year, but this inane childishness parading as church seems to indicate that there are problems much deeper than that of who leads worship.”