WHEREAS, The ascended Christ gave the church, among other gifts, the pastor (Ephesians 4:11); and
WHEREAS, The New Testament recognizes the pastor (overseer or elder) as an office of the church (Acts 20:17, Philippians 1:1, James 5:14, 1 Peter 5:1-5); and
WHEREAS, The New Testament details the qualifications for anyone who holds the office of pastor or elder (1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9); and
WHEREAS, The New Testament and Article VI on “The Church” in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 clearly affirm that the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture (1 Timothy 2:12); now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Kentucky Baptist Convention meeting November 14, 2023, affirm the biblical qualifications of the role of the pastor; and be it
RESOLVED, That we understand the pastoral office is restricted to men as qualified by Scripture; and be it
RESOLVED, That we recognize that Scripture delineates the office of pastor and uses other terms such as elder, overseer, and bishop which should be understood as synonymous with the office of pastor; and be it
RESOLVED, That we encourage all cooperating churches with the Kentucky Baptist Convention to call out men qualified by Scripture to serve local churches as pastor, and be it
RESOLVED, That we acknowledge the office of pastor cannot be separated from its preaching function; and be it finally
RESOLVED, That we desire to honor the authority, inerrancy, clarity, and sufficiency of Scripture in our obedience in how the local church is led.