Southern Baptist Church embraces female "Pastor"

Decatur First Baptist keeps woman in the pulpit

By DONNA WILLIAMS LEWIS

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Sunday, November 23, 2008

On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, in a fellowship hall flanked by overstuffed easy chairs and candlelit bar tables, visitors and members of Decatur First Baptist Church were asked what they were thankful for.

“We all have days, or even seasons, when gratitude is a real stretch for us,” the Rev. Julie Pennington-Russell told the early service congregation. “Thankfulness takes the sting out of adversity.”

One woman was happy about her new niece. Another was grateful some parts of her “disjointed family” would be together for the holiday. A teacher thanked God for answering his prayer that a disruptive student do his work.

And then a man stood to say, “I’m thankful for Julie Pennington-Russell.”

It was a poignant statement, coming, as it did, on the first Sunday Pennington-Russell took the pulpit since Georgia Southern Baptists approved a policy aimed at diminishing the role of churches led by women pastors.

A Southern Baptist statement of faith says only men can serve as head pastor in churches, but the churches are independent and can call whom they want as pastor.

Last year Pennington-Russell became head of the nation’s largest Southern Baptist church with a female senior pastor when she was called to the 2,700-member Decatur First Baptist Church. Her appointment led to talk in the Georgia Baptist Convention of breaking ties with the church.

On Nov. 11, the convention approved a policy that allows the convention to refuse donations from churches that do not adhere to Southern Baptist beliefs. That move would make the churches lose their association voting privileges but allow them to maintain an affiliation with the convention.

So far, the convention has taken no action against Decatur First Baptist. Pennington-Russell said Georgia Baptist Convention’s executive director has asked to meet with the church, and that the meeting will probably occur in December.

In the meantime, “Folks here realize the mission of this church is just moving forward in all kinds of creative, wonderful ways,” Pennington-Russell said in an interview between services. “I think it’s an unfortunate momentary distraction.”

She said Decatur First Baptist has, over time, become much more invested in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, a national organization for moderate Baptists, which accepts women as pastors.

“This church really is historically tied to the Southern Baptist Convention, but lately it’s only been tied by the slenderest of threads,” Pennington-Russell said.

Member Gail Roper, 63, would probably vouch for that.

“If they would like to ask us to leave the Southern Baptist Convention, I think that’s fine,” Roper said. “I think our new minister is wonderful.”

Chris Stanford, 35, of Decatur, who plays guitar in the morning service’s band, said he hadn’t given the matter much thought.

“I don’t really care what a governing body thinks about the spirit leading us in a certain direction,” he said.

Dawn Shorb hadn’t heard the news, but it didn’t matter to her, either.

“Coming here benefits us and backs up what we’re learning about now,” said Shorb, 40, who has attended the church since June with other women from a local halfway house. “From the first time we came we just felt such warmth.”

Member John H. Davis, 70, of Decatur, said he’s happy with his [sic] mininster.

“As long as Christ is being preached, I can accept anyone,” Davis said. “In fact, some of my favorite preachers are women.”