As a Southern Baptist pastor and a committed advocate for confessional integrity, I have long believed that the Southern Baptist Convention’s foundation—rooted in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000—provides the necessary framework to uphold our doctrinal convictions and maintain unity among our churches. Our polity and processes, including the Credentials Committee, are designed to ensure that churches in friendly cooperation align with the faith and practice we have cooperatively affirmed. However, the effectiveness of this system depends entirely on its consistent application.
At the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting in New Orleans, I moved to amend the BFM 2000, clarifying that the offices of pastor/elder/overseer are reserved for men, as qualified by Scripture. The amendment was designed to bring clarity to the confession. It explicitly affirmed that the office of pastor/elder/overseer are synonymous offices in the New Testament, and that this role is exclusively for men, as determined by biblical qualifications (1 Timothy 2:12, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9).
The amendment passed with overwhelming support, sending a clear message that the SBC is not shifting toward egalitarianism and that we remain committed to complementarian doctrine. Together, we reaffirmed our commitment to biblical fidelity and established a stronger doctrinal boundary against any influence of egalitarianism threatening to come to the SBC. The message was clear: the Southern Baptist Convention affirms complementarianism, and churches that embrace egalitarianism do not align with our confession. Though this process for BF&M amendment likely won’t happen again, at the time it seemed to put to bed issues like the Saddleback “all male elders, with female staff pastors” question by making it clear that Southern Baptists believe the Bible only allows for men to be pastors/elders/overseers of any kind.
Many have argued recently for amendments to the SBC’s constitution, such as the Law Amendment. Advocates said it was necessary to deal with egalitarian churches within our convention. Others, including myself, took the position that the BFM 2000 is clear enough and the Credentials Committee had received the clarity they needed to deal with the issue, and therefore the Law Amendment was unnecessary.
That’s what makes the Credentials Committee’s decision regarding NewSpring Church in South Carolina so frustrating.
The Inconsistency with NewSpring Church
NewSpring Church was reported to the Credentials Committee as not being in friendly cooperation due to their openly egalitarian practice. Specifically, NewSpring has a female Teaching Pastor who preaches regularly, in direct contradiction to the BFM 2000’s clear statement on pastoral leadership.
However, it has been publicly reported that the Credentials Committee responded to this inquiry by stating that NewSpring was found to be in friendly cooperation and that they closely identify with the Baptist Faith and Message. This decision is baffling, and it is inconsistent with other decisions made by this very same committee.
At the 2024 SBC Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, this same Credentials Committee took decisive action against FBC Alexandria for a similar issue. A motion was made from the floor to unseat the messengers from FBC Alexandria because they openly affirmed egalitarianism, publicly stating that they would be willing to call a woman to any pastoral office in the future and that they saw no distinction between the roles of men and women in the church.
On that basis alone, the Credentials Committee ruled that FBC Alexandria was no longer in friendly cooperation with the SBC. This was the right decision, and it demonstrated that the system works when applied correctly. That’s why I find the Credentials Committee’s ruling on NewSpring Church so troubling. FBC Alexandria was removed for expressing an intent to call a female pastor, but NewSpring is actively practicing egalitarianism, and yet remains in friendly cooperation? The inconsistency is glaring.
NewSpring may argue that they have male-only elders and that they view the title of pastor as a gifting rather than an office. However, if that is their position, it only makes the decision not to disaffiliate them even more troubling. Why? Because their situation and their argument are almost identical to that of Saddleback Church, another church claiming a distinction between elders and pastors who regularly had a woman preaching to the corporate gathering. More pointedly, it is an argument that the SBC has already rejected! Let me be more direct: every precedent, convention vote, and confessional amendment on this issue in recent years makes it undeniably clear that NewSpring is not in friendly cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention. In other words, the Credentials Committee completely dropped the ball.
Does This Prove the System Is Broken?
Because of this decision, many critics have said this is proof that the system does not work and that the Law Amendment was not only necessary, but that it should get a renewed effort. I respectfully disagree. The problem is not that our system lacks sufficient mechanisms to enforce doctrinal accountability, or that our convention lacks the will to apply our theological convictions when a clear violation is raised. The problem is that our mechanisms must enforce our confessional standards consistently, and we clearly have a consistency problem when two churches with near identical practice and theology are treated with unequal weights and measures.
The Credentials Committee made the wrong decision here, and we need to fix it. But we don’t have to rebuild the system every time a wrong decision is made. Instead, we must work within the system to correct mistakes and ensure that our processes function as intended. What we need most in this moment is not to try to reform our entire system, but to call on men and women within our system to actually carry out the system we have. This is the convention equivalent of “we don’t need more gun laws, we just need to enforce the ones we have.”
The Credentials Committee’s ruling on FBC Alexandria demonstrated that the system does work. It was the correct application of our confession. The NewSpring decision, however, undermines the credibility of the process. It sends a mixed message, creating confusion and frustration among Southern Baptists who have rightfully expected clear and consistent enforcement of our theological commitments. Southern Baptists need to hear a clear statement from the Credentials Committee that we will hold to the standard we have already affirmed. When applied consistently, our polity protects our doctrine and preserves our unity.
What Comes Next? Calling for Correction
Southern Baptists have spoken clearly on this issue. The BFM 2000 is clear. The messengers in New Orleans and Indianapolis reaffirmed our complementarian stance decisively.
We should encourage the Credentials Committee to uphold the fair and consistent application of our shared doctrinal convictions. When our confessional standards are applied unevenly, it creates confusion and weakens our collective commitment to biblical faithfulness. For the SBC to remain strong in its convictions, we must ensure that our processes function as intended, safeguarding our doctrinal integrity and preventing theological drift.
More than that, it’s beyond time that this process became far more transparent. Either the Credentials Committee should adopt clear and transparent standards for how they judge cooperation, or the Executive Committee should provide detailed guidance to the committee that is publicly available. I believe in the process. I have told others to trust the process. When those in charge of the process make mistakes that undermine public trust—by contradicting their own precedents, as they have here—they should provide clear steps and transparent standards that correct former errors and regain trust from Southern Baptists. Until they do, Southern Baptists have every right to believe that our process is at best inconsistent—or, at worst, subject to private pressure and political forces.
I remain hopeful that our system will work as intended, and I have already reached out to the Credentials Committee and resubmitted NewSpring for consideration to be removed. The Committee now has the opportunity to correct this mistake—and they should take it. Let me be clear: when I opposed the Law Amendment, I was not signing up to support clear egalitarianism in our convention. If the Credentials Committee fails to act again, then I plan to be at a microphone in Dallas at the constituting of our convention to make a motion that NewSpring be disallowed from seating messengers at our annual meeting.
If I were a betting man, I’d bet I won’t be the only one.
Editor's Note: As a part of its commitment to fostering conversation within the Southern Baptist Convention, the Baptist Review may publish editorials that espouse viewpoints that are not necessarily shared by the TBR team or other contributors. We welcome submissions for responses and rebuttals to any editorials as we seek to host meaningful conversations about the present and future of our convention.
Jared Cornutt
Jared Cornutt serves as Pastor of North Shelby Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL. Jared’s motion to amend the BFM2000 made at the 2023 Convention was overwhelmingly adopted, the first amendment to the BFM since its initial adoption. Jared graduated from the University of Alabama in 2013 and from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2015 with his Master of Divinity. He is currently a student at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO pursuing a Ph.D. in Historical Theology and will also earn a Th.M. in the process. Jared is a regular speaker at D-Nows, camps, revivals, and other church related events. Jared is married to Kandace and together they have four children. He is a founder and leadership team member for The Baptist Review.