In the wake of a decision by the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board to no longer endorse ordained women as chaplains, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) endorsed six of them.
In all, the CBF endorsed 25 chaplains and pastoral counselors Feb. 22, the largest group of new chaplains since a council on endorsement formed in 1998. To date, the Atlanta-based CBF has endorsed a total of 163 Baptist ministers for work as chaplains in the military, hospitals and industry or as pastoral counselors. Thirty-six of those are ordained women. They comprise 22 percent of the CBF’s total chaplaincy force.
“CBF gladly endorses ordained women who are qualified to serve as chaplains,” CBF Coordinator Daniel Vestal said.
George Pickle, associate coordinator for chaplaincy and pastoral counseling, said the endorsements indicate CBF’s commitment to helping men and women find their places of service. “CBF affirms that chaplains and pastoral counselors have been called by God and gifted by the Spirit of God for ministry in the kingdom of God,” he said.
In other action, the CBF commissioned six new missionaries in a service Feb. 22 in College Park, Ga., bringing the total of CBF missionaries to 115. The three couples will serve in the Ukraine, North Africa and California.
But Daniel Vestal, the organization’s chief executive, said CBF would not automatically hire Southern Baptist missionaries who resign or are fired because they refuse to affirm the Baptist Faith and Message statement.
Vestal said many people are asking if CBF will hire missionaries who leave the IMB because of pressure to affirm the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message statement. Missionaries who resign from the IMB may not match the CBF’s priority of reaching people groups in parts of the world where the gospel message has not been heard.
(ABP)
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