Rick Warren, Female Pastors, and the Textbook Path to Heresy

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GUEST: MIKE STONE, candidate for president, Southern Baptist Convention

Heresy is defined as “belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious doctrine.”

For two millennia of church history, it has been the orthodox belief of Christians and churches who esteem Scripture as the highest authority that men—not women—with character “above reproach” are qualified to serve as pastors or overseers in the church.

Scripture and church history are so clear on this that to propose that women should be pastors is to willfully reject God and His design for His church.

1 Timothy 3 is one Scriptural basis for male-only pastors. Notice the specificity of men as church overseers and the use of male pronouns:

It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. 2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. 4 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), 6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. 7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. (1 Timothy 3:1-7).

The Bible is perhaps even more clear in the previous chapter:

I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. 13 For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. 14 And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. (1 Timothy 2:12-14).

Rick Warren is arguably the most well-known pastor in the world. He was the pastor at the mega-church Saddleback in Southern California for decades, is the author of numerous best-selling books, and speaks at major venues all over the world.

Rick Warren is also the current chief proponent for the heresy of female pastors being integrated into the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in America and the one his own church was disfellowshipped from due to Rick Warren ordaining multiple women to pastoral roles.

Rick Warren is not going silently into the night on this issue. The Southern Baptist Annual Meeting is coming up June 12-13 in New Orleans where the attendees (or “messengers” as they are known) will vote to confirm or rescind the disfellowshipping of Saddleback. In the lead-up to the meeting, Rick Warren is using his formidable position and influence to persuade the Southern Baptist Convention away from biblical and historical orthodoxy on the issue of female pastors to heresy (again, “belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious doctrine”).

This weekend on The Christian Worldview, Mike Stone, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Blackshear, GA and candidate for president of the Southern Baptist Convention will join us to discuss this issue and others within the SBC and what his vision is for the denomination going forward.