Park Cities Baptist withdraws from SBC

Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas—a prominent congregation situated in the affluent Highland Park/University Park area—voted to withdraw its affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention.

During an Oct. 27 called conference, the congregation approved the motion to cut ties with the SBC “by a strong majority,” according to a public statement released by the church.

“The church appointed a lay leader committee, which studied these matters for more than nine months, outlined the various issues that led them to recommend this course of action,” the public statement from the church said.

“Although there were multiple matters raised, the concern for the autonomy of the local church and the desire to determine the timing and grace of any separation from the SBC were of paramount importance.

“As part of the motion to withdraw, the church affirmed that it is a God-glorifying, Gospel-centered, Bible-believing, theologically conservative Baptist church and that neither its doctrine nor its beliefs have changed.”

At the same time, the church reaffirmed its denominational commitment to the Baptist General Convention of Texas “and its engagement with the state convention in its missions and ministries.”

The chief executive officers of some BGCT-affiliated institutions and agencies are members of Park Cities Baptist, and its members serve in a variety of capacities on Texas Baptists’ committees and boards.

The statement from the church noted the congregation charged committees to “evaluate effective ways to work with and support specific projects” of the SBC International Mission Board and North American Mission Board.

“In all of this, we will all seek to glorify the Lord, build up the church, unify the overall Body of Christ, and proclaim the Gospel even more effectively. We move forward together as a church family to further the Gospel in the unity of the Spirit to the glory of God,” the statement from the church concludes.

Gradual distancing from SBC in recent years

Park Cities Baptist Church was organized in 1939 as a Southern Baptist church, and former pastors served in a variety of leadership roles in the national convention.

However, for at least two decades, the church’s involvement with the SBC essentially has been limited to support for its mission programs.

While the statement from Park Cities Baptist did not specify exactly what prompted the decision to withdraw from the SBC, the Southern Baptists at their annual meeting in June debated a constitutional amendment that would have barred from the SBC churches that employ female pastors.

Messengers to the annual meeting voted 61.45 percent to 38.38 percent in favor of the amendment limiting “friendly cooperation” with the SBC to a church that “affirms, appoints, or employs only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture.”

Although a majority approved the measure, it failed because amendments to the SBC constitution require two-thirds approval at two consecutive annual meetings.

The website for Park Cities Baptist Church staff listing currently does not include any women who carry the title “pastor.” However, Pastor Jeff Warren has advocated for women in ministry.

“Jesus did not genderize the Great Commission, nor does God dispense spiritual gifts to his children according to sex. We must release every girl and boy, woman and man into their God-given calling, not putting parameters around anyone based on sex, ethnicity or status,” Warren wrote in an opinion article published March 21, 2023, in the Baptist Standard.

“Relegating women to specific roles—often preschool, children, youth, worship or women’s ministries—is to narrow the work of a gift-filled congregation and thus stifle the advancement of the gospel.

“Such parameters have not always been imposed on the mission field in other parts of the world. Let’s release our girls and women—called by God—to lead, proclaim, teach and preach the glorious message of the gospel to the whole wide world.”