SWCC Motion

Southwest Community Church moves ... That the CBWC Assembly affirms the priesthood of all believers, with both women and men as being equally called and gifted for pastoral ministry. That if any persons in the pastorate meet the educational standards required for the ministry, they be accorded the right to appear before the Ordination Examining Council when their ordination is requested by their church. That CBWC denominational leaders will model this value in belief and practice by giving equal employment consideration to all qualified individuals to all leadership roles, including invitations to preach, teach and serve in all capacities at CBWC sponsored events. That CBWC churches, boards, and clergy are expected to show respect to all persons who are in pastoral leadership roles in the CBWC. That the CBWC Assembly expects all churches to recognize the spiritual gifts of all believers and faithfully call all qualified persons into all areas of leadership within the church, including the role of pastor. [Wait for seconder] ‌ 3 min spiel: While the motion affirmed by the CBWC Assembly in 1959 was revolutionary in its day, in retrospect it reflects the patriarchal perspective of that period of time. It now reads as if the standard to be reached by women is to be as good as and equal to men. ‌ This was once a progressive stance, but it is unacceptable in 2023. Language matters. And the language that implies that men are the standard and women are the exception is not a solid foundation on which CBWC can build. It is our desire that we respond to the call of the Baptist World Alliance to “learn and then use language that is affirming to both women and men in worship, communication, publications.” Mae Benedict Field, the first woman ordained by the Baptist Union, not only met, but exceeded the standards that had been set for men. Quoting from a CBWC post from March 2022:

While all of the men seeking ordination that year were able to present their statement to and be questioned by the Ordination Examining Council, Mae had to present her paper in front of the entire Assembly, but not before the Assembly first voted on whether or not they would actually ordain a woman.

It is important to note that it would be another 24 years before the next women would come before the OEC. So, if we have ever said “The CBWC has been ordaining women since 1959” we might need to learn a bit more about the history after that moment. ‌ If we continue to build on the foundation that holds men as the standard and women as acceptable by an exception, we will not flourish as an affiliation. ‌The motion put forward by Southwest Community Church seeks to make clear that people are gifted for and called into ministry first by God and that calling does not depend on their gender. We hope to remove and undo some of the patriachal and sexist underpinnings that have made it more difficult for women to flourish in leadership, though many have risen to the challenge and done remarkable work. We don’t think this is good for men either. ‌ We want to signal to future pastoral candidates, men and women alike, that they can expect respect, acceptance and collegiality if they are called to serve among us. Additionally, we hope this motion might build a framework so that future leaders will be able hear and respond to the call of God on their lives, discerning the gifting of the Holy Spirit, making their professional preparation, and responding with joy to the recommendation of a local CBWC congregation. Language matters. Let’s make sure we say what we mean.