ANDERSON, S.C. (BP) – NewSpring Church, which has more than 14,000 members at 13 campuses across South Carolina, has announced its withdrawal from the Southern Baptist Convention, citing the “distress and conflict” its continued affiliation is causing.
A statement sent to church members, a withdrawal letter sent to the SBC Executive Committee and the church’s answers to questions from the SBC Credentials Committee are posted on its website here.
The Credentials Committee, which is tasked with determining whether a church is in friendly cooperation with the SBC per criteria listed in the SBC Constitution, sent an inquiry to NewSpring last fall after learning the church has a woman on staff as a teaching pastor.
The committee was apparently satisfied with NewSpring’s answers to its questions and declined to recommend to the SBC Executive Committee that the church be deemed “not in friendly cooperation.”
Many Southern Baptists, including SBC President Clint Pressley, disagreed with that decision.
“The committee needs to take another look at this one,” Pressley posted on X Feb. 25. “Our statement of faith is clear about qualifications for a pastor.”
Alabama pastor Jared Cornutt, whose motion at the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting amended that statement of faith (the Baptist Faith and Message 2000) to deal more specifically with the issue of women in pastoral roles, released an essay criticizing the Credentials Committee’s decision.
“Southern Baptists have spoken clearly on this issue,” Cornutt wrote. “The BFM 2000 is clear. The messengers in New Orleans and Indianapolis reaffirmed our complementarian stance decisively.”
In its answers to the committee last fall, the church affirmed “the biblical view that while both men and women are gifted for ministry and leadership, the role of elder/overseer, or lead pastor, is reserved for qualified men as outlined in Scripture,” but added: “At the same time, NewSpring believes that women play a vital and significant role in ministry and leadership within the church. Therefore, NewSpring encourages and provides opportunities for women to exercise their God-given gifts, including leadership, teaching, and ministry, under the oversight and authority of the male elders of the church.”
In its withdrawal letter sent to the SBC Executive Committee March 26, Pastor Brad Cooper said NewSpring believes it is “operating under the full authority of Scripture and in alignment with the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.”
“This decision is not made out of disagreement with the SBC’s core commitments,” the letter said, “but rather out of a sincere desire to preserve unity and prevent unnecessary division within the body of Christ.”
The letter opens by expressing gratitude to the SBC for its financial support of NewSpring when the church was launched 25 years ago.
Church leaders released a statement to members this week, informing them of the decision to withdraw from the SBC. The statement said the church has not been actively involved in SBC events for some time, but has remained affiliated due to shared adherence to “Baptist distinctives.”
“We don’t want our affiliation to distract from the Great Commission or cause division in churches preaching the Gospel,” the statement said.
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