Women in Ministry and Due Process

If someone would like to know the official SBC position of Women in Ministry, the following statement is found on the official Southern Baptist Convention website.

"Women participate equally with men in the priesthood of all believers. Their role is crucial, their wisdom, grace and commitment exemplary. Women are an integral part of our Southern Baptist boards, faculties, mission teams, writer pools, and professional staffs. We affirm and celebrate their Great Commission impact.

While Scripture teaches that a woman's role is not identical to that of men in every respect, and that pastoral leadership is assigned to men, it also teaches that women are equal in value to men."

Most Southern Baptists will begin to hear of the Sheri Klouda issue next week when state Baptist papers run the story or the local newspaper runs a weekend religion story on the forced removal of Dr. Klouda as Professor of Hebrew at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary simply because she is a woman.

Some, in an attempt to justify this unjust action against Sheri, argue that hiring her in 2002 was a 'momentary lax of the parameters.' In other words, some allege that the official 'position' of the SBC is that Sheri should never have hired in the first place. That reasoning is both implausible and deceptive. First, as is evidenced from the quote on our convention's web site, women are equal to men in every position of ministry but the 'office of pastor.' Second, the policies and procedures at SWBTS are very clear about tenure review for tenure track professors on SWBTS faculty -- a position that Sheri held. SWBTS must follow policy regarding tenure review, whether it be for a male or female professor. No gender distinction is made in the governing documents of SWBTS. There is no option to navigate around these policies and procedures, nor is there any permission to subvert proper policy, nor can anyone (including the President) simply say, "I don't care what policy states, we are not going to have a woman teach in the School of Theology, therefore, we are not going to give a female tenure track professor the privilege of tenure review and defense."

Southern Baptists are of the opinion that men and women are equal. The BFM states that the role of 'pastor' is reserved for men, but women can, and have, participated in all other roles, including the academic faculty of the theology departments of our seminaries. You can't just deny tenure, or cease tenure review, because someone is a woman. The policy handbook forbids this, and any outside commission would see such action as an egregious violation of professional conduct.

So, the Klouda matter is not about whether or not you believe a woman should, or should not, teach Hebrew. The Klouda issue is not about whether or not you are of the opinion that a woman should, or should not, hold a position in a 'School of Theology.' The Klouda controversy is about insuring that our institutions follow bylaws, procedures, and policy. I believe that those who examine the Klouda controversy, free from jaundiced eyes, will see that Sheri Klouda was not dealt with properly when it came to the handbook on tenure review -- she was discrimated against and treated differently because she is a woman. That's the problem -- and it is a big one.

In His Grace,

Wade Burleson