Expert: Bruce Gourley - 2/4/2010

Question
I am an ordained Southern Baptist minister, but am starting to get upset with some of the movements the Southern Baptists are making. I have recently been filling in at a Missionary Baptist Church, and studying what their doctrine say. I am feeling led to pastor a Missionary Baptist Church, but I am wondering if Missionary Baptist churches consider a man who is not an ordained Missionary Baptist minister? Thanks for your time....Jon

Answer
Local Baptist churches are autonomous, so each congregation decides who qualifies for ministry within their own church. Some Missionary Baptist congregations would indeed be open to a Southern Baptist-ordained pastor; the deciding factor would be whether or not the person's beliefs matched those of that church. Other Missionary Baptist church may well require ordination within the Missionary Baptist fellowship. The only way to ascertain this would be to find out the requirements of a particular given congregation.

Bruce Gourley
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www.baptistlife.com