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https://sbcvoices.com/nobts-chapel-and- ... dr-kelley/

Not a totally unexpected or surprising reaction, considering the family relationship involved. You can change the names, run the clock back about 35 years, and get the same kind of reactions from those who were involved in the inner circle of SBC leadership back then. The carefully built structure of relationships, placement of trustees on boards and the "ministry career ladder" climbed by those who had relatives in important places, or who hitched up wagons to those who seemed to be going places was knocked down in one convention meeting in Houston. Seems like another Texas gathering, in Dallas, may have led to the knocking down of another carefully built structure. I wonder when we'll start hearing the word "takeover". Seems like the older SBC leadership has the same attitude of entitlement as the moderates did prior to 1979.

Dr. Kelley is entitled to voice his opinion as a leader of an SBC entity, but I think doing it in front of a captive audience in a chapel service sends the wrong message. It certainly didn't get much in the way of positive reviews.

By the way, there are now four SBC entities searching for new top administrative leadership, as Dr. Thom Rainer has announced his retirement from Lifeway Christian Resources.

Ed : Sandy, in what way are the attendees in a chapel service at New Orleans a "captive audience" ?

Ed: Sandy when you write "Most women who want to pastor churches who come from CBF roots still have to make their way to the Methodists or Disciples of Christ to find the opportunities." You seem to overlook women and men unwelcome by SBC churches who have been welcomed by the ABC.

I think there are some who have probably gone with ABC, though what I hear from friends and from those with whom I went to seminary, there are more women in ABC seeking pastorates than there are churches available. A couple of friends of mine at seminary went with the DoC because at that time, they had a pastor shortage, and their ordination is recognized by a number of other denominations, opening up more opportunities.

I don't think there's really been an overwhelmingly large number of women coming out of SBC congregations to seek pastorates elsewhere. I encountered a few because I was at a seminary where there were some women studying who were interested in vocational ministry and were hopeful that an atmosphere would develop that would cause more SBC churches to be open to the idea of ordaining women and calling them as pastors. There were, perhaps, a dozen or so at Southwestern, which was the largest of the six at the time.

I'm not saying they haven't left, but proportionate to the number of church members, and in the context of the conversation of there being so many that it would be overwhelming to another denomination to absorb them, I don't think there have been that many. There might have been a spike in the number for that period of time around 1987-90, when the conservative resurgence solidified control of the seminary boards, and when most of the changes were occurring. There may have been an increase over the past decade, as SBC membership has entered a period of significant decline, but at this point, I wouldn't think that the number of women coming out of the SBC seeking pastorates in other denominations would "swamp the boat" so to speak.

I would guess that the biggest source of women looking for pastorates in other denominations would be coming more from CBF churches than the SBC. I know several who went that direction, thinking the opportunities would become abundant, but that never really materialized.