FBC Alexandria pastor Robert Stephens responds to the motion to unseat messengers from FBC Alexandria. He was given three minutes to respond to the recommendation of the Credentials Committee. — Photo by Van Payne / The Baptist Paper
INDIANAPOLIS — Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting voted June 11 to disaffiliate with First Baptist Church Alexandria, Virginia, by a ballot vote of 6,759 (91.78 percent) to 563 (7.65 percent). Forty-two ballots were disallowed.
The church’s messengers were initially seated when they registered, but during the afternoon’s business session, another messenger requested they be “unseated on the grounds of egalitarianism.” The motion was immediately referred to the Credentials Committee, which returned in the afternoon session with a recommendation to discontinue its relationship with FBC Alexandria.
The church has a stated faith regarding women pastors that “is not closely identified with the SBC’s stated faith,” said Jonathan Sams, chair of the Credentials Committee, who serves as director of equipping and community groups for Image Church in Marietta, Ga.
The Credentials Committee is charged with conducting an inquiry process to “consider the matter and review any information available to it” to assess whether the church is in “friendly cooperation” as established in Article 3 of the SBC Constitution.
According to a statement on FBCA’s website, the church was reported to the Credentials Committee in 2022 for “being out of step” with the Baptist Faith & Message 2000.
The website also noted, “As a church that employed two female pastors (in 2022), First Baptist Church of Alexandria was engaged in this debate, (and a year later) was grieved by the Southern Baptist Convention’s overwhelming vote to disfellowship two Southern Baptist churches for the same reasons. We remain resolute in recognizing God’s calling to ministry for both men and women. For nearly 100 years, women have had a prominent role in ministry and positions of authority at FBCA.”
Pastor Robert Stephens was given three minutes to respond to the recommendation of the Credentials Committee. He acknowledged the church has had three women pastors.
“The role of women in ministry at FBC is not a recent development,” he said. “Women have had a prominent role with FBCA for over 44 years.”
He said FBCA is a testimony to the fact that “we can have a fruitful partnership” with churches that have a differing position. “We prioritize cooperation for kingdom work and the glory of God,” he said.
Stephens appealed to messengers to “keep working together. We are advancing the gospel, and we would like to continue walking alongside you.”
Sams countered that leaders of FBCA expressed an egalitarian view of women (that everyone is equally important and should have the same rights and opportunities) instead of a complementarian view (that women have different but complementary roles). The church has indicated they believe a woman is qualified to be a senior pastor, Sams said.
The committee does not “claim to have to have any authority over any church,” but the SBC can also determine what it believes, Sams added.
At the time of the ballot vote, there were 10,863 registered messengers.
A convention spokesman confirmed the messengers of FBCA no longer had credentials for the meeting but could remain at the convention as guests.
FBCA cooperates with the Baptist General Association of Virginia.
The BGAV Executive Board released a statement following the vote unseating the FBCA messengers. It reads in part:
“BGAV Executive Board recognizes and celebrates the invaluable contributions of women in all areas of ministry. We affirm that women, equally called and gifted by God, should have the opportunity to serve in leadership roles, pastoral positions and all other ministry capacities.
“Our belief is rooted in the understanding that the Holy Spirit equips all believers, regardless of gender, to fulfill the mission of the Church. We are relationally rich because of the women and men God is calling to serve in many ways in our churches.”
To read the full statement from BGAV, click here.
To view more photos from this session, click here. B&R
