Updates 9:07pm – Bart Barber takes 13 point lead over Tom Ascol, but neither has enough votes to secure the election and will go into a runoff.

The annual meeting part of the Southern Baptist Convention has kicked off and the order of business is now taking place. The meeting began with serial plagiarist, Ed Litton, calling the messengers to convene followed by members of the United States military leading the convention in prayer.

Currently, Guidestone president, Hance Dilbeck, is urging pastors to take advantage of the retirement and financial options available through Guidestone.

In other news, there are at least two credible rumors going around that we should be aware of. First, The Dissenter has it on good faith that there will be a fourth presidential candidate entering the race. Dr. Frank Cox, Pastor of North Metro Baptist Church, will be nominated by Dr. Ted Traylor of Olive Baptist Church. This rumor has been confirmed independently by The Dissenter.

A nomination for Frank Cox would likely lead to a siphoning of votes away from Bart Barber as opposed to Tom Ascol or Robin Hadaway.

The second rumor, which is even more troubling, is that the Southern Baptist Convention’s Credentials Committee will likely not be recommending removing Saddleback Church from the denomination for ordaining women pastors, which is against the Southern Baptist Convention’s statement of faith.

The referral to the Credentials Committee is below:

SBC Referral: To break fellowship with Saddleback Church (Item 68, Proceedings of the Southern Baptist Convention, June 15-16, 2021, SBC Annual, p. 74)

Motion: Shadd Tibbs, Louisiana “That according to Article VI of our Baptist Faith and Message and according to the teaching of 1 Timothy 2:12, that, we the Southern Baptist Convention, of June 2021, break fellowship with Saddleback Church, as they have ordained three ladies as pastors, and all other churches that would choose to follow this path. At the very least, I am asking that the validity of this matter be looked into and report given at the 2022 Convention of the action taken”

Response: It is the unanimous opinion of the Credentials Committee that the majority of Southern Baptists hold to the belief that the function of lead pastor, elder, bishop, or overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture and that this was the intended definition of “office of pastor” as stated in Article VI of the Baptist Faith & Message 2000. The Credentials Committee has found little information evidencing the Convention’s beliefs regarding the use of the “title of pastor” for staff positions with different responsibility and authority than that of the lead pastor. For this reason, the Credentials Committee makes the following report and recommendation:

Report: The Credentials Committee reports to the Southern Baptist Convention during its June 14-15, 2022, annual meeting, that pursuant to SBC Bylaw 8 and SBC Constitution Article III, that it is unable to form an opinion regarding the relationship of Saddleback Church to the Southern Baptist Convention, until clarity is provided regarding the use of the title “pastor” for staff positions with different responsibility and authority than that of the lead pastor. Therefore, the Credentials Committee makes the following recommendation:

Recommendation: The Credentials Committee recommends that the Southern Baptist Convention during its June 14-15, 2022, annual meeting in Anaheim, California, form a study committee, the members of which shall be appointed by the President, to report to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, June 13-14, 2023, in New Orleans, Louisiana, a recommendation providing clarity regarding the “office of pastor” as stated in the Baptist Faith & Message Article VI, The Church, given the many different offices within Baptist churches which include “pastor” in the title, though often with very different responsibilities and authority.

This article will be updated throughout the day.

Update 06/14/2022 @ 12:40 pm: SBC Replaces Resolution Calling for Equal Protection of Unborn Children With Watered Down Resolution Praising ERLC