SBC Pastors Threaten to Boycott Conference over Planned Spoken Word Performance by Female Pastor
Some Southern Baptist church leaders and pastors are threatening to boycott the Southern Baptist Convention’s Pastors’ Conference because of a planned performance from a female spoken word artist.
According to The Christian Post, some of the church pastors say Hosanna Wong should not be in the lineup of featured guests at the conference because she is a female teaching pastor.
“The last thing I want to do is sow discord in the body of Christ. And I do not believe I’m doing so. I must, however, question @PastorDavidUth on @SBCPastorsConf including @waynecordeiro & Hosanna Wong. This does not represent the majority of the SBC. We will fight for right,” Sam Bunnell, pastor of worship and discipleship at South Reno Baptist in Nevada, said on Twitter.
The last thing I want to do is sow discord in the body of Christ. And I do not believe I’m doing so. I must, however, question @PastorDavidUth on @SBCPastorsConf including @waynecordeiro & Hosanna Wong. This does not represent the majority of the SBC. We will fight for right.
— Sam Bunnell (@sambunnell) February 11, 2020
Dwight McKissic, senior pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, however, noted in a statement that Wong is not a lead pastor.
“If Phoebe could be entrusted to deliver the Roman epistle to the church at Rome, & the church be told to ‘receive her in the Lord…and assist her,’ … then the pastors conference can receive Hosanna Wong. Churches are autonomous.”
A “teaching pastor” is not the lead pastor. If Phoebe could be entrusted to deliver the Roman epistle to the church at Rome, & the church be told to “receive her in the Lord…and assist her,”…then the pastors conference can receive Hosanna Wong. Churches are autonomous. https://t.co/hDQeAM4Z7R
��� Dwight McKissic (@pastordmack) February 11, 2020
The conference’s site lists 10 men as “Confirmed Speakers.” Wong and worship artist Phil Wickham are listed as “Special Guests.”
According to The Christian Post, “she is expected to appear at the conference in her capacity as a spoken word artist.”
Wong is a teaching pastor at EastLake Church in San Diego. She is also an author and is the Executive Director of Calvary Street Ministries, a ministry for the homeless and low-income families in San Francisco. She travels the country speaking and performing at churches of different denominations.
“She’s not preaching. She’s not coming as a preacher,” conference president David Uth confirmed to Baptist Press. “She’s coming as a musical artist.”
Micahel Frost, the founder of Tinsley Institute at Morling College, has asked for prayer for Wong.
“She was invited to speak at the Southern Baptist Convention’s Pastors’ Conference in June, but a number of SBC pastors have written a joint letter of protest, demanding that Wong repent, calling on every SBC pastor to phone the SBC immediately, and threatening to withhold all Executive Committee funds until she is disinvited. If not, they are planning to mobilize a boycott of the event. Pray for her.”
This is Hosanna Wong, the teaching pastor at EastLake Church. She was invited to speak at the SBC’s Pastors’ Conference, but SBC pastors have written a letter of protest, demanding that she repent, and threatening to withhold all funding until she is disinvited. Pray for her. pic.twitter.com/TxPBfXCK1x
— Michael Frost (@michaelfrost6) February 12, 2020
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/DGLimages
Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.
Comments are closed.