Rick Warren’s ego is so great, he needed two hireling pastors to replace him. This came in the form of a husband wife combo, Andy and Stacie Wood. At the last two Annual Southern Baptist Conventions, Saddleback Church became a battleground for its ordination of female pastors, which Rick Warren was given free reign to bloviate about on the floor. The SBC refused to disfellowship Saddleback on the basis that they did not know what a pastor was.
On October 8, Stacie Wood delivered the sermon. (Note: Saddleback’s sermon streams are dated on Saturdays). This was perhaps the impetus for SBC Twitter’s renewed scrutiny of Andy and Stacie Wood and the female pastors of Saddleback Church. But as previously stated, this was all known information when the Southern Baptists met in June. However, it’s now being rubbed in the faces of Southern Baptists.
Perhaps in response to the backlash, Andy Wood commented to the Baptist Press:
“Stacie and I are grateful to be called to serve at Saddleback Church,” he said. “We are not co-pastors but rather have unique roles on staff. I’m serving as the lead pastor and one of our Saddleback overseers while Stacie is serving as one of our teaching pastors.”
Differences with other Southern Baptists on the role of a pastor doesn’t have to lead to a break in fellowship, he added.
“We believe pastoring and teaching are functions and spiritual gifts to be exercised in the church by both men and women,” said Wood. “The function of teaching and pastoring is not necessarily synonymous nor exclusive from the office of overseer.
“While many SBC churches share the same view, we are committed to stay in fellowship and unified with other SBC churches even when we disagree. Saddleback Church has a strong commitment to the authority and inerrancy of the Bible. We believe this approach is biblical and in alignment with the teachings of the New Testament as well.”
While there are a significant number of Southern Baptists who are egalitarian, majority of them are not as above board about female eldership as Andy and Stacie Wood. Andy Wood is brazenly begging Baptists to try and stop him knowing full well the reticence of the SBC to part with one of its most famous and influential churches.
The Southern Baptist Convention is subjecting itself to the rabble’s curse by allowing this mockery of male headship in the church to continue.
One Response
The arrogance of daring a conference to do something or not speaks volumes about this person.