So the SBC is contemplating the "wisdom" of sending single female missionaries. The irony is that the bulk of their missions funding comes from the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, named after a single missionary woman. A simple Google search on "Lottie Moon" reveals that she:
1. Served as a teacher.
2. Was an evangelist - traveled from village to village to share Christ. She targeted women, but their husbands started to come hear her.
3. She baked cookies to give out to villagers to build relationships with local families, so that she could share her faith.
4. She advocated against the practice of foot binding for Chinese women.
5. She advocated for single women missionaries, by saying they had the right to own homes, do their own work, and should have an equal voice in mission decisions. (She was a feminist!)
6. She acted as a diplomat, mediating between quarreling missionaries, and, "learned how to influence Chinese men without making them lose face." She also settled disputes between Chinese students.
7. During times of severe persecution she disguised herself as a Chinese official to travel into dangerous territories.
8. Facing severe famine, war, and flood in the nation, she gave away her own food and supplies. She died of extreme malnutrition at age 72, on a ship returning to the U.S.
9. She led to the formation of the Woman's Missionary Union, and inspired the annual Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, which has raised billions of dollars for global missions.
Yet, the SBC, in all of its wisdom, has questions about single women missionaries. Sometimes God's children are so absurd. Thanks be to God for Lottie Moon, and so many other women missionaries!
Since 2000, over 380 Southern Baptist leaders have been convicted of sex crimes involving more than 700 victims all while SBC leaders covered for abusers and silenced survivors.
But women preaching and pastoring is the real problem? What a joke.
@Vicar1973@VCHourOfficial I agree with both of you. I'm gonna have so much fun thinking about this! It may even inspire a little side by side study side quest.