“Now here we are 20 years later, the differences of theology remain and in fact are exacerbated. Eight faithful churches have been removed and more may be on the way. Our church has been in tension with our region for 10 years because I questioned why our region was not complying with national bylaws. Our region also has churches who have women elders, pastors, and preachers. For raising this issue our church is on the cusp of removal, accused of the same divisive spirit as the 8 faithful churches in BC. Yet, just like the 8 churches in BC that were removed, we all share the identical convictions of the majority of Fellowship churches. We’re told that we are the problem for pointing out the stark theological and practical differences that exist between churches on an issue that has been settled by passing a position statement and national bylaw more than 20 years ago. But our churches aren’t the problem, we just put our finger on the problem.
It is not that 8–10 churches in BC caused division, nor has our church caused division, it was the National Council that allowed (and continues to allow) regional leaders to defy a bylaw and refuse to respect the historic and present day majority of churches who affirm that Fellowship churches are complementarian—meaning that the pastoral office and its functions of preaching and oversight are reserved for biblically qualified men.”
…
“How does this ecclesiology translate to an association of churches? I suggest that the delegates gathering at convention are the “elders” of an association. The highest authority in a Baptist association is the convention of churches when delegates gather and make proposals, bylaws, and set doctrinal boundaries. Of course, the delegates can’t do this task alone, so they delegate to the board or council—the “deacons”—to write proposals, policies, or statements that the delegates either approve or send back for refinement.
Therefore, the churches—or delegates—are the elders, and the board, whether National Council or regional board, are like “deacons” who carry out the will of the elders. When the deacons act like elders, or act apart from the elders, we’ll have conflict and a crisis in the church.”
To view the entire article: https://www.fairviewbaptistchurch.ca/the-fellowships-unity-crisis/
