Hard to see ordination as a tool in preventing clergy abuse
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“Here’s where you go in the SBC to find a registry of all ordained ministers: www.fahgettaboutitSBC. There is no requirement that any pastor in any position be ordained.” - William Thornton
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Justice for SBC sexual abuse victims: A call for an investigatory commission
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“This is why secular authorities must intervene. The Southern Baptist Convention has repeatedly demonstrated it will not take meaningful action to expose clergy predators, to rectify harm to survivors or even to assess the scope of the problem.” - RNS
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ERLC issues apology regarding amicus brief: reaffirms local church autonomy
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“There are few issues nearer the center of what it means to be Southern Baptist than the autonomy of the local church.” - BPNews
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Who controls church property? Lawsuit asks the Supreme Court not to privilege denominations over congregations
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“Many congregations have faced similar dilemmas … as they parted ways with denominations over questions of Biblical authority, sexuality, and theology.
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What’s this inconsistent use of autonomy, anyway?
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“We will see next month what the SBC Executive Committee does with their in-house Credentials Committee that has a process for receiving complaints about churches. I’m presuming that someone filed a complaint about the church at which Paige Patterson is scheduled to speak.
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Malcolm Yarnell Thread on Autonomy and Discipline
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“Does Local Church Autonomy keep the Southern Baptist Convention from dealing with its sexual abuse crisis or even from realizing the extent of that crisis?” - SBC Voices
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What Does Autonomy Mean for the SBC?
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“This legal authority of the Convention is limited by its constitution, Article IV, Authority: ‘While independent and sovereign in its own sphere, the Convention does not claim and will never attempt to exercise authority over any other Baptist body, whether a church, auxiliary organization, or convention.’ This limitation is prompted by the theological proposition that each church is independent and autonomous.” -
Discussion
A Short Biblical Case for Congregational Autonomy
Congregationalism is the idea that Christ has established local assemblies of believers and that He is directly Head over each. The idea has both internal and external application. Externally, congregationalism means there are no layers of ecclesiastical authority outside the local church between it and Christ. Internally, it means there is no individual or board between the congregation and Christ. Leaders serve the congregation.
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Ethics Scandals and Local Church Autonomy
The Oxford Concise English Dictionary defines autonomy as (1) the possession or right of self-government, (2) freedom of action. In other words, autonomy is the freedom to make choices according to the individual or group’s own principles and values. It’s freedom of conscience.
For Christians and New Testament local churches, autonomy is 100% conditioned by obedience to our Lord. In that sense, we have no autonomy. But in relation to those other than ourselves and Christ, we do have autonomy: the freedom to act according to what we believe to be the will of Christ.
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