In February, Pressley publicly addressed news that South Carolina megachurch NewSpring Church was deemed to be in friendly cooperation with the SBC, despite having a woman on staff who holds the title of teaching pastor.
“My understanding is that our Credentials Committee deemed a church in friendly cooperation that has a female teaching pastor,” Pressley said. “The committee needs to take another look at this one. Our statement of faith is clear about qualifications for a pastor.”
Bart Barber, Pressley’s predecessor as SBC president, responded with support of Pressley’s view. NewSpring voluntarily left the SBC in March, stating, “This decision is not about disagreement with the SBC’s core commitments but about preserving unity in the body of Christ.”
Of late, the convention has been racked with legal costs due to lawsuits related to a 2022 report from Guidepost Solutions, which found that the SBC was culpable for a widespread mishandling of allegations of sexual abuse.
Two years later, a task force appointed in part to create a database with names of abusers concluded its work without doing so. Prior to the 2024 annual meeting, survivor Tiffany Thigpen voiced her belief that “the people who truly run the show will never allow” sexual abuse reform to move forward.
In January, Executive Committee President Dr. Jeff Iorg announced that Jeff Dalrymple would lead the office responsible for responding to and preventing sexual abuse within the SBC. Dalrymple previously served as executive director of the Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention (ECAP), which works to set national standards to protect vulnerable groups.
RELATED: SBC Executive Committee Taps Jeff Dalrymple To Spearhead Long-Term Abuse Reforms
Pressley expressed his confidence in Dalrymple, and he reiterated that view to BP. “I’ve known Jeff for years,” Pressley said. “He’s a standup guy, humble and hardworking, clear-thinking, and has a good background he’ll bring to the table. He will bring a lot of strong discernment to help Southern Baptists and will do a great job.”
Clint Pressley and Michael Criner did not respond to a request for comment from ChurchLeaders by the time of publication.
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