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Editor’s note: Issue No. 4 (Vol. 25) of Southern Baptist Texan magazine included Executive Board recommended changes to the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s Constitution and Bylaws, which are to be considered by messengers at this year’s annual meeting. To help interpret the proposed changes to Constitution Article IV, Section 1 (d), the Executive Board also approved the Guiding Document shown below. Note that the Guiding Document is interpretive in nature, is not part of the Constitution and Bylaws, and is not being recommended for messenger action.
GUIDING DOCUMENT
SBTC CONSTITUTION | ARTICLE IV, SECTION 1 (d)
Interpretive Statement
This Guiding Document is intended solely to explain the Executive Board’s intent and application of Article IV, Section 1 (d) of the SBTC Constitution. It is interpretive in nature and is not part of the Constitution or Bylaws. It is to be used by the Credentials Committee, the Executive Board, or messengers regarding affiliation qualifications. It does not amend, expand, supplement, or create additional affiliation requirements beyond those contained in the governing documents of the Convention. Likewise, it is not intended to amend, supplement, interpret, or supersede the Baptist Faith and Message, which remains the Convention’s sole doctrinal statement as provided in the Constitution.
SBTC Constitution Excerpt:
Article IV. Affiliation Section 1 Affiliation Qualifications
The Convention will only allow a church to affiliate or remain in affiliation if the church: (a) Affirms the doctrinal statement of the Convention, (b) consents to work within the framework of the Constitution and Bylaws, (c) cooperates with the work of the Convention, (d) affirms the office, function, ordination and title of pastor/elder/overseer to be limited to men as qualified by Scripture. Title shall include any equivalents of the words pastor/elder/overseer, and preaching to the assembled congregation shall be an exclusive function of pastor/elder/overseer or biblically qualified men. (e) does not act to affirm, approve, or endorse the practice of homosexuality, as evidenced by actions including but not limited to the licensure or ordination of homosexuals, marriage or blessing of homosexual relationships, and endorsing homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle, and (f) does not engage in or encourage any other practice or conduct deemed to be inconsistent or contrary to the doctrinal statement of the Convention.
Affirmations and Denials, Article IV, Section 1 (d):
• We affirm that the office of pastor/elder/overseer is established in Scripture, with specific qualifications for men appointed to serve. We deny that Article IV, Section 1 (d) addresses roles and positions in the church other than the office of pastor/elder/overseer.
• We affirm that men who serve as pastor/elder/overseer or preach to the assembled congregation should not violate the biblical qualifications of the office. We deny that serving as pastor/elder/overseer is required to preach to the assembled congregation.
• We affirm that preaching to the assembled congregation is the proclamation of God’s Word in a sermon during a corporate worship service of the local church. We deny that Article IV, Section 1 (d) is intended to address other elements of a corporate worship service or other ministries of the local church.
• We affirm that ordination refers to the local church appointing biblically qualified men to serve as pastor/elder/overseer. We deny that Article IV, Section 1 (d) is intended to address ordination to ministries other than the office of pastor/elder/overseer.
• We affirm that titles equivalent to pastor/elder/overseer encompass their historically accepted Greek derivatives and faithful translations across all languages. We deny that titles such as director, leader, or minister are equivalent to pastor/elder/overseer and further deny that those or other titles may be used as substitutes for pastor/elder/overseer to avoid the application of Article IV, Section 1 (d).
