LOCAL FLOCK, NATIONAL NOISE

Pastor and church leader, surely this never happens to you: you’re working on Sunday’s sermon, needing to check on a member at the hospital, and trying to fill that last nursery slot. You’re in a fever pitch of multitasking. Then your phone rings. “Pastor, have you seen what’s happening in the SBC?”

Of course you have. Looks like the nursery volunteer search just got bumped down the list.

National noise has made itself at home in our local churches. Headlines become questions about our giving, our values, our beliefs, and whether we can trust our leaders. Pastors need to help their people examine those questions biblically without turning the church into a permanent argument.

Here in the Fairburn Baptist Association, a church left our association and the Southern Baptist Convention over concerns about the Guidepost abuse report and the Executive Committee’s response. I also know of churches that have redirected cooperative giving away from certain SBC agencies, including the North American Mission Board (NAMB).

So what’s a pastor supposed to do when some folks want to leave, others want answers, and everybody else has started a podcast?

The SBC is like a family, with different personalities, habits, and convictions. Some convictions unite the family; others distinguish particular households. We belong to one another in Christ (Ephesians 2:19). Even the relative who forwards twelve videos before breakfast deserves our love.

The old Christian maxim captures the goal: “In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity.¹ Charity means Christian love. First Corinthians 13:4–6 joins patience and kindness with rejoicing in truth. That’s how this family needs to talk.

Name the trouble without feeding the fire

A doctrinal disagreement, a disputed expenditure, and sexual abuse are different kinds of problems. Tossing them into a bucket marked “drama” makes light of real harm. Something else, before we get into “naming the trouble” is the way the trouble is characterized. I’ve tried my best to be neutral in framing the issues and to give documentation where I could find it. The point here is not the right or wrong of the issues, as important as that is, but how the issues are dealt with. With that said, here we go.

Abuse and accountability. Guidepost’s 2022 investigation found that a few senior Executive Committee leaders and outside counsel closely guarded abuse information, withholding it from trustees while prioritizing protection from liability. Survivors encountered resistance and hostility. Those are the report’s findings; they don’t mean every trustee knew everything or every allegation was judicially proven.²

Our state of Georgia has its own painful example. Truett McConnell University faced allegations of sexual abuse and a cover-up. A former vice president left in 2024; trustees terminated President Emir Caner in September 2025 following an investigation. Caner disputes his dismissal and says he first learned of the alleged misconduct in 2024. June 2026 reporting said the investigative findings remained unpublished.³ Pastors should speak carefully and take reports of harm seriously.

Transparency and stewardship. NAMB publishes audited financial statements, and the SBC publishes entity ministry and financial reports.⁴ Those disclosures matter. An audit of financial statements doesn’t settle every question about fair grant decisions or doctrinal compliance.⁵ Rhett Burns of the Center for Baptist Leadership (CBL) has proposed fuller trustee oversight of executive compensation and clearer reporting of outside institutional funding.⁶ Read what’s available and identify what’s missing. “Everybody’s crooked” is a lousy substitute for an audit.

Planter properties and funding. NAMB’s posted reserves breakdown lists about $87 million in mission properties, including missionary housing and Send Relief centers. That figure includes donated property and reflects depreciation; it isn’t a tally of cash spent buying planter homes.⁷ NAMB says planters typically use its housing for 12–24 months, paying utilities, and trustees review purchases. Separately, it acknowledges rare cases of buying homes for specific missionaries and selling them to those planters at NAMB’s cost.⁸

Claims of favoritism need evidence. NAMB’s published guidelines say funding varies with leadership capacity, context, and the planting model.⁹ Unequal amounts alone don’t prove favoritism. Still, churches can ask how grants and housing are awarded, who approves exceptions, and how conflicts of interest are handled. James 2:1 rules out partiality. “Trust us” isn’t a line item. Clear policies and evidence of consistent application help rebuild trust.

Women and pastoral leadership. Our Baptist Faith and Message affirms women’s and men’s gifts for service while reserving the office of pastor/elder/overseer for biblically qualified men.¹⁰ The proposed “Truth and Unity” amendment addresses that office and the function of preaching to the assembled congregation. It received initial approval in June 2026 and requires another two-thirds vote in 2027.¹¹ Teach 1 Timothy 2:12 and 3:1–7 in context. Honor women’s ministry. Give women the encouragement and space to use their giftedness. Express thankfulness for their service. Don’t turn a debate over pastoral office into suspicion of every woman carrying a Bible.

This also concerns the churches we fund. NAMB’s FAQ acknowledges past endorsed plants with women using pastoral titles, though it says none was a lead pastor. It says it worked to correct the practice and withdrew funding and endorsement in cases where planters wouldn’t change.¹² Ask about a plant’s actual teaching, current leadership, funding dates, and corrective action. Yesterday’s partnership doesn’t establish today’s funding. A signed statement of faith needs to match what’s practiced.

Calvinism. This debate concerns how God’s sovereignty and our response fit together in salvation. In a 2012 interview, Ed Stetzer urged honest conversation and cooperation around our shared confession and mission.¹³ CBL has also published a panel discussion about cooperation across the Calvinist divide.¹⁴ Pastors should disclose their theology honestly, especially when being called to a church. Sneaking in a doctrinal overhaul isn’t shepherding. Treating every Calvinist, or every non-Calvinist, as the enemy isn’t either.

Essential for what

Before drawing a line, ask: Essential for what? Albert Mohler and Gavin Ortlund describe theological triage: sorting doctrines by importance so every disagreement doesn’t become a five-alarm fire.¹⁵

Primary truths define the Christian faith. The Trinity, Christ’s deity and bodily resurrection, salvation by grace through faith, and Scripture’s authority belong here (1 Corinthians 15:3–4; Ephesians 2:8–9). Denying the gospel’s foundations changes Christianity itself.

Secondary convictions shape shared church life. Baptism’s mode doesn’t save us. Yet our confession teaches believers’ baptism by immersion as a prerequisite for church membership.¹⁶  Immersion is essential to our Baptist practice without being essential to salvation. A Presbyterian brother can be a Christian while disagreeing with us about baptism. Likewise, boundaries for SBC cooperation don’t automatically become verdicts on someone’s salvation. Church planting fits our confession’s missions commitment (art. XI); funded plants still need to teach and practice our shared faith.

Third-level differences allow continued fellowship. Christians may differ over end-times details while affirming Christ’s return. These matters deserve study but ordinarily needn’t split a congregation. Secondary doesn’t mean unimportant; third-level doesn’t mean untrue.

Preferences need room to breathe. Where Scripture leaves freedom, musical styles and meeting times shouldn’t become tests of faithfulness. The hymnbook’s publication date isn’t a test of orthodoxy.

Around 1993, in my church plant, we started using an overhead projector for worship songs. My worship leader and I were accused of leading the church into Pentecostalism. Apparently, the danger was hiding in the projector.

To sort an issue, study Scripture’s clarity and its connection to the gospel. Then ask what kind of fellowship is involved. Recognizing someone as a Christian, joining a ministry project, becoming church members, and serving as pastors require different degrees of agreement. Would cooperation require disobedience or violate a biblically informed conscience? Ortlund stresses that the setting and practical demands of cooperation matter.¹⁷

Seek wise counsel before assigning a label. Don’t let “I’m annoyed” masquerade as “the gospels at stake.” These categories rank doctrinal disagreements. They never turn abuse or dishonesty into preferences.

When politics grabs a pew

Then come Christian nationalism, Donald Trump, and immigration. Suddenly, Sunday school needs a referee.

I’ll treat this in more detail in the next blog: Prophetic, Not Partisan – Guarding the Gospel in a Hyper-Polarized Culture. However, as I write this, I find myself wondering, “What I was thinking?” in addressing these toxic topics! Too late now. Here we go!

“Christian nationalism” gets used in different ways. Define the concern before condemning the person. Loving America and bringing biblical convictions into public life are legitimate. Treating America as God’s covenant people, making a politician the church’s savior, or denying others religious freedom crosses a biblical line. Our confession affirms religious liberty for all.¹⁸ Our ultimate citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20).

Apply Scripture to Donald Trump and every other leader. Supporting particular policies doesn’t excuse unbiblical words or conduct. Supporting Trump doesn’t automatically prove Christian nationalism; criticizing him doesn’t automatically prove theological liberalism. The SBC’s 2026 resolution on political violence and speech affirms civic engagement while rejecting allegiance to a party or candidate above Christ.¹⁹ A ballot isn’t a certificate of sainthood.

Immigration requires moral clarity and compassion. The SBC’s 2026 resolution affirms secure borders, humane enforcement, and due process while rejecting racial hostility and dehumanization.²⁰ Read Romans 13 alongside Genesis 1:27 and Leviticus 19:34. Government has responsibilities; our neighbors bear God’s image. Help members consider both, and minister compassionately to immigrant families.

National media also brings religious and secular pluralism into the conversation. Living among different faiths isn’t the same as believing every faith is equally true. We proclaim salvation in Christ alone (John 14:6; Acts 4:12) and answer respectfully (1 Peter 3:15). Evaluate a story’s evidence. A secular outlet can report accurately; a Christian logo can’t baptize a falsehood.

Six ways to shepherd through the noise

James 3:17–18 gives us our standard. God’s wisdom is pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, merciful, impartial, and sincere. Test both the position you’re defending and the way you’re defending it. Here’s how that can work in your church.

1. Check your own temperature. Before addressing the church, ask, “Am I defending truth, protecting my reputation, or reacting to somebody who irritated me?” Pray and invite candid counsel. Matthew 7:3–5 applies to shepherds, too. Ken Sande makes examining our own contribution central to biblical peacemaking.²¹ If you’ve spoken unfairly, say so plainly. “I was wrong” can do more for pastoral credibility than another defensive explanation.

2. Hear the concern beneath the complaint. “We ought to leave the SBC” may express distrust over money, concern about doctrine, or pain from abuse. Ask, “What concerns you most? What would a faithful response accomplish?” Then summarize: “Have I understood you fairly?” James 1:19 calls us to listen. Don’t diagnose someone’s motives before hearing the person. In Acts 6:1–7, the apostles heard a complaint and addressed neglected widows. They didn’t tell hungry people to quit hurting the church’s image.

3. Open the Bible before opening the argument. Read a relevant passage together in context. Ask what it teaches, what it requires of us, and where applying it requires judgment. Romans 14 permits differences over food and days; it doesn’t excuse clear sin. Two members may agree that stewardship matters while disagreeing about redirecting gifts. Work through the reasoning between the biblical principle and the proposed response. “The Bible says so” needs a passage and an explanation. Teach patiently and correct gently (2 Timothy 2:24–25).

4. Get the facts on the same table. Separate what’s documented, alleged, disputed, and unknown. Are members disagreeing about what happened, what it means, or what to do? Those require different conversations. Read original reports, proposals, and agency responses. Megan Basham raises concerns about outside funding and political influence; CBL’s podcast presses financial transparency.²² Examine their evidence and the responses. Correct a false claim even when it helps your argument (Ephesians 4:25). No commentator gets an inerrancy upgrade because we like the conclusion.

5. Give concern a trustworthy path. In Acts 15:6–21, leaders heard serious disagreement and appealed to Scripture. They communicated their decision with pastoral encouragement (vv. 22–35). We aren’t apostles, but we can learn from their care. Provide a moderated discussion, shared documents, fair opportunities to speak, and a date for reporting back. Address one issue at a time. Ask people to explain the other person’s concern fairly before answering it. Interruptions and guessed motives won’t help (Ephesians 4:29). Ask precise questions of agency leaders or trustees. With NAMB, request the housing eligibility rules, the process for reviewing funding exceptions, and the checks for continuing doctrinal agreement. Your association can help gather information and facilitate a strained conversation.

Make accountability visible locally, too (2 Corinthians 8:20–21). Review financial oversight, abuse prevention, and channels for reporting concerns about senior leaders. Protect those at risk, meet reporting obligations, and involve appropriate authorities and qualified professionals. Never require someone reporting abuse to confront an alleged abuser privately first. Safeguarding people can’t wait for a congregation to finish debating.

Explain where gifts go before deciding where they’ll go next. The SBC doesn’t govern your church, though it sets conditions for cooperation.²³ Distinguish association, state, and national partnerships. Cooperative Program gifts support multiple ministries; cutting the whole stream affects more than one disputed agency.²⁴ Follow your church’s established process. Weigh convictions, evidence, ministry consequences, and alternatives. Don’t rush a heated vote or demand loyalty through guilt.

6. Keep shepherding after the vote. A decision can settle a budget without settling a wounded relationship. Explain the biblical reasoning and follow up with disappointed members. If you’ve wronged someone, seek forgiveness. Correct slander and persistent factional behavior without treating honest questions as disloyalty. Ortlund reminds us that Christian unity is itself a doctrinal responsibility.²⁵ Give concerns appropriate attention and regular updates, but don’t let them write Sunday’s sermon every week. Keep worship, discipleship, care, and mission moving while accountability work continues. If partnerships change, maintain a responsible missions plan. Anger isn’t a Great Commission strategy.

Romans 12:18 recognizes the limits of peacemaking. Faithful leadership won’t guarantee that everybody agrees or stays. We’re responsible for obeying Christ in the conversation and the decision; we can’t control every response.

Keep it in the family without hiding the truth

Family loyalty means honest conversation and fair treatment. It can’t mean suppressing evidence, silencing survivors, or keeping crimes from authorities. Ephesians 5:11 calls us to expose darkness. Some wrongdoing requires public accountability; private pastoral care still deserves appropriate confidentiality.

A quiet room can still contain frightened people and unanswered questions. Biblical peacemaking gives truth a hearing and teaches the family to respond in love. We can’t control every headline, but we can give our neighbors a truthful, compassionate witness.

First Peter 5:2 says, “shepherd the flock of God that is among you” (ESV). Pastor, your people need more than running commentary on Nashville or Alpharetta. They need you to open the Bible, answer honestly, protect the vulnerable, and keep leading them toward Christ.

The national noise may be loud, but your local flock is still yours to love.

Endnotes

1. Mark Ross, “In Essentials Unity, In Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity,” Ligonier Ministries, September 1, 2009, https://learn.ligonier.org/articles/essentials-unity-non-essentials-liberty-all-things. The attribution to Augustine is unreliable; Ross associates the maxim with seventeenth-century Rupertus Meldenius.

2. Guidepost Solutions, Report of the Independent Investigation: The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee’s Response to Sexual Abuse Allegations and an Audit of the Procedures and Actions of the Credentials Committee, May 15, 2022, 3–5, https://roysreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/GuidepostSolutionsIndependentInvestigationReport.pdf.

3. Henry Durand, “Former Truett McConnell President Sues University over Termination,” The Christian Index, republished in Tennessee Baptist and Reflector, June 25, 2026, https://baptistandreflector.org/former-truett-mcconnell-president-sues-university-over-termination/.

4. North American Mission Board, “Financial Transparency and Accountability,” accessed October 19, 2026, https://www.namb.net/financialtransparency/; Southern Baptist Convention, “2026 Ministry Report,” https://www.sbc.net/resource-library/ministry-reports/2026-ministry-report/.

5. North American Mission Board, Consolidated Financial Statements for the Years Ended September 30, 2025 and 2024, independent auditor’s report, January 20, 2026, 1–2, https://cdn.namb.net/files/Annual_Ministry_Report/NAMB%20FINAL%20Financial%20Statements.pdf.

6. Rhett Burns, “Beyond the 990: A Way Forward for Transparency and Trust in the SBC,” Center for Baptist Leadership, September 25, 2026, https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/beyond-the-990-a-way-forward-for-transparency-and-trust-in-the-sbc/.

7. North American Mission Board, NAMB Reserves Fund Breakdown, https://cdn.namb.net/files/25041223700_NAMB%20finances_Document%20v2.pdf.

8. North American Mission Board, “I’ve Heard NAMB Owns Houses. Does It? If So, Why?,” June 12, 2026, https://www.namb.net/faqs/ive-heard-namb-owns-houses-does-it-if-so-why/; “FYI,” section on purchasing homes for specific missionaries, https://www.namb.net/fyi/.

9. North American Mission Board, Planter Expectations, 2, accessed October 20, 2026, https://cdn.namb.net/files/send_network/SN_Planter%20Expectations.pdf.

10. Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Faith and Message 2000, art. VI, amended June 14, 2023, https://bfm.sbc.net/bfm2000/.

11. Scott Barkley, “Truth and Unity Amendment Receives Initial Two-Thirds Approval,” Baptist Press, republished in The Pathway, June 10, 2026, https://mbcpathway.com/2026/06/10/truth-and-unity-amendment-receives-initial-two-thirds-approval/.

12. North American Mission Board, “FYI,” section on women as church planters and pastors.

13. Ed Stetzer, interview by Brandon Smith, “On the SBC: An Interview with Ed Stetzer (Part 2),” SBC Voices, August 1, 2012, https://sbcvoices.com/on-the-sbc-an-interview-with-ed-stetzer-part-2/.

14. Center for Baptist Leadership, “Working Across the Calvinist Divide for the Good of the Convention,” podcast episode description, https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/working-across-the-calvinist-divide-for-the-good-of-the-convention/.

15. R. Albert Mohler Jr., “A Call for Theological Triage and Christian Maturity,” The Christian Post, July 13, 2005, https://www.christianpost.com/news/a-call-for-theological-triage-and-christian-maturity.html; Gavin Ortlund, interview by Matt Tully, “Podcast: Gracefully Dealing with Doctrinal Disagreement (Gavin Ortlund),” transcript, Crossway, April 6, 2020, https://www.crossway.org/articles/podcast-gracefully-dealing-with-doctrinal-disagreement-gavin-ortlund/.

16. Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Faith and Message, arts. VI–VII, XI.

17. Gavin Ortlund, “How to Navigate the Complexity of Secondary Doctrines,” Crossway, July 24, 2025, https://www.crossway.org/articles/how-to-navigate-the-complexity-of-secondary-doctrines/.

18. Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Faith and Message, art. XVII.

19. Southern Baptist Convention, “On Political Violence and Speech,” resolution, 2026 annual meeting, https://www.sbc.net/resource-library/resolutions/on-political-violence-and-speech/.

20. Southern Baptist Convention, “On Immigration, Human Dignity, and the Rule of Law,” resolution, 2026 annual meeting, https://www.sbc.net/resource-library/resolutions/on-immigration-human-dignity-and-the-rule-of-law/.

21. Ken Sande, “The Four G’s,” adapted from The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict, Relational Wisdom 360, https://rw360.org/the-four-gs/.

22. Megan Basham, “Is the SBC for Sale? How Progressive Money and Influence Is Subverting the SBC,” Founders Ministries, June 12, 2024, https://founders.org/articles/is-the-sbc-for-sale-how-progressive-money-and-influence-is-subverting-the-sbc/; Center for Baptist Leadership, “Financial Transparency or Bust: Why the SBC Must Open the Books Now (ft. Rhett Burns),” podcast episode description, accessed October 19, 2026, https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/financial-transparency-or-bust-why-the-sbc-must-open-the-books-now-ft-rhett-burns/.

23. Southern Baptist Convention, “Constitution,” arts. III–IV, https://www.sbc.net/about/what-we-do/legal-documentation/constitution/.

24. Southern Baptist Convention, “About the Cooperative Program,” https://www.sbc.net/missions/the-cooperative-program/about-the-cooperative-program/.

25. Gavin Ortlund, “An Open Letter to Those Who Divide over Doctrine,” Crossway, April 21, 2020, https://www.crossway.org/articles/an-open-letter-to-those-who-divide-over-doctrine/.