Dear Dr. Floyd,
Last week before I went to a funeral at a local SBC church, I visited their facebook page and clicked on the pastor’s sermon. In the first 30 seconds of his sermon, he said, “The Husband has authority in the home. God has placed the Husband as head of the household.” Then he proceeded to preach on Jesus’ authority. Right off the bat, Husband’s authority came before Jesus’ authority.
Immediately, I decided to write to you instead of to that pastor. He is a pulpit bully, and I fear that his attitude is encouraged by the SBC leadership. Thus, this series of letters.
Considering the answer Jesus gave to John and James when they asked for the privilege to sit at his right hand side when he came into his kingdom (Mark 10:38), it is highly doubtful that husbands can stand-in for Christ here on earth. But standing in for Christ is exactly what they would be doing if husbands were given the privilege by God to be heads over women. Christ does not share his headship with human males. Why would he?
Christianity should be about love, so it is hard to justify pulpit bullying of women. Don’t you agree?
Signed: Shirley Taylor, Street Evangelist for Women’s Equality
(Shirley’s note: This letter was mailed October 13, 2015 to Dr. Floyd, president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Husband’s authority is the main theme in many Baptist and other evangelical churches today. Fifty years ago, it was hell and brimstone. As we will see in the final of this series of letters which will be posted October 29, husband’s authority is still connected to the devil (you will have your eyes opened, I guarantee, and it is very fitting that that letter will be the Halloween letter).
My new website is http://www.shirleytaylor.net where you can find all my books. The latest is Dethroning Male Headship: Second Edition, available on Kindle and Amazon.
What it boils down to is, unless a man is asking his wife to commit an obvious sin, a husband’s authority trumps God’s authority over a wife.
In Baptist churches, men serve God. Women serve God vicariously through serving the men. Every thing women do that is church related has to be ordered or approved by men.
My question is, “Who do these men believe will judge their wives at the Bema seat …… God, or the husbands?”
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You nailed it! The funny thing is, the wife must determine if it is a sin! So the blame and responsibility is really on her. I hope women remember this every time they hear the word “love” in church. The church does not love women. It bullies women. Time for women to stand up and say so! Thanks for writing.
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