Southern Baptists to consider conditions for cooperating churches

A Southern Baptist committee known as the Cooperation Group on Wednesday released drafts of recommendations for updating the process used to decide which local churches are part of the denomination. The group also recommends that the denomination’s Executive Committee determine the practicality of publishing a public list of cooperating SBC churches.

Group chairman Jared C. Wellman said in a statement that the recommendations are meant to help the SBC move forward in Biblical fidelity, missional clarity, and unity. They are still subject to edits. The group’s annual convention is on June 11-12 in Indianapolis, Ind. The SBC is widely regarded as the United States’ largest Protestant denomination, with more than 15 million members reported in 2015.

What are the suggested changes to the SBC’s governing documents?

• To make the process for changing the Baptist Faith and Message document, the denomination’s main doctrinal statement, the same as changing its constitution, which is a two-thirds majority vote at two consecutive years of conventions.

• To clarify that annual meeting attendees, known as messengers, have the authority to include or exclude fellow messengers. A church would have to closely identify with the convention’s statement of faith for its messengers to be seated, the group said.

• To celebrate when churches send messengers to the annual convention for the first time, indicating they are joining the SBC.

• To require candidates for trustee or committee positions in the SBC to affirm the Baptist Faith and Message.

Why did the SBC form a Cooperation Group? The group was formed last year when the SBC voted to exclude messengers from two churches with female pastors. Three other churches had been previously “disfellowshiped” by the SBC’s Executive Committee in February 2023 but did not appeal their cases to the convention. The Cooperation Group was tasked with reviewing the process and studying what it means to be in friendly cooperation of faith and practice with the SBC. Unlike many other Protestant denominations, the SBC has no authority over its participating congregations; it can only decide whether to consider a church in friendly cooperation.

Has it expelled any churches in the last year? The SBC Executive Committee in February voted to exclude four congregations. The committee said two of the churches exhibited failures related to the denomination’s policy on sexual abuse. One hired a woman as a pastor, and another did not participate financially.

Wasn’t there an investigation into how the denomination handled sex abuse? Last month, Executive Committee interim president and CEO Jonathan Howe said the U.S. Justice Department had ended its investigation. No further action was anticipated, he said. The probe, which began a year and a half earlier, looked into how a denominational agency handled allegations of sexual abuse.