Church leaves BSC over woman preacher

By Tony W. Cartledge

BR Editor

MARION - Parker's Chapel Missionary Baptist Church voted Nov. 7 to withdraw from the Baptist State Convention and the Blue Ridge Baptist Association after learning that a woman had been slated to preach the annual convention sermon.

In a letter addressed to the Blue Ridge Association, copied to the BSC, and faxed to the Biblical Recorder, pastor Larry Brown referred to the BSC as the "Southern Baptist State Convention."

"We find that it is impossible for us, as Bible-believing Christians, to support the SBSC in this outright affront to the Word of God," he wrote. "Our congregation held an emergency meeting during Sunday morning worship and we determined, by a vote of 47 to 0, that we cannot and will not be part of an organization that blatantly ignores one of the most basic guidelines for church leadership, as stated in 1 Timothy 3:1-13."

The passage in 1 Timothy 3:1-13 discusses qualifications for bishops and deacons, and is often interpreted as applying to pastors.

Brown told the Recorder that the matter was brought to his attention "by a lady in the church who had read it in the Biblical Recorder." The church "prayed about it and had a lengthy business meeting, then voted unanimously," he said.

In the letter, Brown said Lotz is "a fine Christian woman," and "a good teacher and speaker.

"However," he added, "she cannot fulfill the role of preacher, whether this refers to the pulpit of a church or the podium of a convention."

The convention program described Lotz' proclamation as the "Convention Message" rather than "Convention Sermon." Lotz was invited to speak by former BSC president Jerry Pereira prior to his death in 2003.

Brown told the Recorder that his church believes it is unbiblical for a woman to preach. "We just feel like if this is okay this time, what's it going to lead to next?"

"I've been a Southern Baptist all my life," he said, but "Southern Baptists are getting more liberal all the time."

When asked why the church chose to leave the local association, Brown said "just because of our convictions."

Parker's Chapel Baptist Church was founded in 1956. In 2002, according to its Annual Church Profile, it had 75 members. The church traditionally has contributed small amounts to the association and the BSC, but stated in the withdrawal letter that it "will no longer support financially any endeavors of these groups."