The recent changes to the Baptist Faith and Message as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention messengers during the annual meeting in Orlando, Florida last month, appear to have sent many Baptists into near panic. The document, first adopted in 1925, revised in 1963 and again this year, is nothing more than a confession of faith. It is a statement of faith affirmed and adopted by our convention.

I haven't the space here to get into all of the discussions that have ensued since the Baptist Faith and Message was revised this year. Debates have raged over whether or not the convention is moving toward creedalism, or whether or not the changes undermine the Baptist tradition of priesthood of the believer, and over whether or not the changes were necessary. I just want to address that last issue.

Even though I agree wholeheartedly with the content of the changes, I didn't see the urgency in making the proposed changes. It was the reaction of those who are now in a frenzy over the changes that made me realize these changes were needed. Perhaps even overdue.

The changes that have brought the most reaction are two. First, a statement showing in Scripture why women, while invaluable in ministry, may not serve as the senior pastor of a church. Second, is the removal of the statement "The criterion by which the Bible is to be interpreted is Jesus Christ."

These may seem to be nitpicky little items. Shouldn't we, after all, just focus on those things that bring us together for the sake of missions and evangelism? That sounds great, but what we believe about Scripture is a the very heart of our outreach. Dr. Al Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, was right when at the convention he said, "This is what it all comes down to."

You see, those who are dissatisfied with the conservative direction of the SBC and who have subsequently affiliated with the moderate shadow convention, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, would have us to believe that the differences are minimal. Perhaps some of them are, but when those differences are rooted in our fundamental approach to Scripture, those differences are bound to become more acute. A visit to the CBF general assembly held recently in Orlando makes this clear. According to reports in the Baptist Press members of the CBF drew some disturbing distinctions between themselves and Southern Baptists.

* Becca Gurney, a board member of Baptist Women in Ministry, said that just as the SBC has no right to suggest that God does not call women to the pastorate, she has no right to suggest that God does not call gays and lesbians to the pastorate.

* Ken Sehested, executive director of the Baptist Peace Fellowship, said the Bible nowhere condemns homosexuality as a sin. The biblical passages SBC conservatives point to speak of "power relationships with minors," not consensual adult gay sex.

* Annette Hill Briggs, pastor of University Baptist Church in Bloomington, IN, said the SBC's theological conservatism is nothing new, but that the convention is simply "keeping up with Indiana," a state convention whose "history is so sordid." She said when she became a BSU director in Indiana she "had to sign a statement that you believed in the virgin birth and that women shouldn't be pastors."

* Stan Hastey, CBF member and head of the Alliance of Baptists when asked whether those who do not come to faith in Christ will go to hell said, "I don't know." He went on to say that he believes Jesus is the fullest revelation of God, but, unlike the SBC leadership, he does not believe this means "we ought to be aggressive in evangelizing those in world religions."

* Kristina Yeatts, associate pastor of First Baptist Church, Clayton, NC, said, "I believe you need to have a personal relationship with Christ, but I would never say that someone couldn't be led to him in other ways. Jews and Buddhists are missing out because they are not Christians, but I wouldn't say they are not going to heaven. I know if I was in the same situation I would take great offense if someone told me that."

If women in the pastorate is a minor point of contention between conservatives and moderates then the concept of Christ as God's only means of salvation and the virgin birth are as major as it gets. This is why I now believe it was absolutely necessary for Southern Baptists to make clear, in the Baptist Faith and Message, just how seriously we take the Word of God.

Our differences are not about women in the pastorate or homosexuality. Our differences are about our view of Scripture. If you begin to question the authority of Scripture on issues like women pastors and homosexuality then what else will you question? The virgin birth? The resurrection?

If we cooperate with other Christians for the purpose of missions and evangelism then we need to make absolutely certain we are in agreement as to what message to proclaim. Is Christ the Son of God? Is He the only means to the Father? The Bible says He is. Southern Baptists just want it understood that we merely agree.

[Chip Bayer is editor of The Indiana Baptist in which the above editorial was printed 11 July 2000.]