Kristen Horton McCaslin

Executive Director of Spark Ministry.

[Beth Moore @BethMooreLPM]

Those in the SBC who think I no longer should have anything to say about the SBC profoundly underestimate the power of love. I’d served southern Baptist women for 40 years by the time I left. And when I left, I left directly on their behalf because it became disturbingly clear to me that the SBC as an entity was more interested in protecting shepherds than the sheep entrusted to their care. When protecting the pulpit from women becomes a far greater priority than protecting women (& children) from an abusive pulpit, something is wrong. Which has been the greater problem: women trying to become your senior pastors or pastors misusing or abusing women?

My biggest concern is that what happened with the CRT witch-hunt will happen now in regard to women. The overreach resulted in numerous pastors, teachers and professors dropping the immensely important biblical teachings against racism rather than risk being accused of CRT. I heard from pastors at that time who preached against racism and already had emails Monday morning from people in their congregation accusing them of CRT. Because the difference wasn’t clarified, they lumped all of it into the one category. The aim became: shut every mouth to shut some mouths.

I pled for SBC seminary presidents and leaders to please clarify to pastors and teachers and, thereby, to congregations & students what qualified as CRT and what indeed was the proper and deeply rooted and needed biblical approach to anti-gospel racism.

Crickets.

I see the same potential here. I have never once fought for SBC women to take over church pulpits. I have esteemed and supported the role of male senior pastors. My own pastors would tell you that. If you think I was in the SBC trying to lead a revolution against men, you are clearly not familiar with my materials. What I believed then and believe now is that God has called both men and women to serve their churches and communities and proclaim the gospel. He has poured out his Holy Spirit on men AND on women, calling them to broadcast the good news.

You have beaten the drum loudly about what women in SBC churches cannot do. So, what CAN they do? Clarity here is essential. What is a woman to do who has been gifted BY GOD to teach the Bible, especially if her church has moved to the community group model and there is no Sunday school to teach?

Here is what I see on the horizon. If you leave these matters involving women so vague that it becomes about pastoral roles/actions rather than the title of pastor, it will shift to the subjective rather than objective. I wish I was naïve enough to think that wasn’t the point to some of these leaders but, sadly, I’m not.

What if that senior pastor doesn’t allow a woman on the prayer team to pray over people at the end of the service because he deems she is acting pastorally? What if the pastor sees that a woman’s Sunday school class of WOMEN is getting, in his estimation, a little too big? Can he just decide she acting pastorally and remove her from the role? Can she counsel people with her God-given wisdom and knowledge or would she be acting pastorally? The examples could go on and on. And, of course, I realize many would not use their positions to disesteem women but surely you and I both know countless others would. God only knows how many unqualified, unloving, mean-spirited men are in pastoral positions but the obsession remains the women.

I have no desire to see SBC women leave the denomination. I loved and flourished in that denomination. I want them to be able to flourish in their spiritual gifts. I want them to be esteemed in their serving inside and outside their homes. I want them to be able to serve Jesus and proclaim his glorious gospel.

I know I’m going to get hit here. That’s fine. But you should know I will fight for them to the death. Because I love them. And, yes, whether they love me or not.

[Reese Gorman @reesejgorman]

The belly tap is remarkable

[Kristen Horton McCaslin @krh_mccaslin]

@Bezner Remarkably Bright Creatures, The Second Life of Mirielle West, The Things We Cannot Say, The Nickel Boys, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

[Kristen Horton McCaslin @krh_mccaslin]

@BethMooreLPM The tenderness of this thread has put a big ol’ lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. I love me some Bezners, and that JB has prayed more good and healing into my life and bad out of my life that I will probably ever know! Thankful (but not surprised) they’ve loved you so well.

[Steve Bezner @Bezner]

Quick writing/book update, for those interested: https://t.co/6sR0pFxf8G

[Garrett Kell ن @pastorjgkell]

"Don't believe everything you think. You cannot be trusted to tell yourself the truth. Stay in The Word." - Jerry Bridges

[Matt Smethurst @MattSmethurst]

Why Do People Start Attending Church?

Advertisement: 2%
Organized visit: 6%
Invite from a pastor: 6%
Invite from a friend: 86%

Source: https://t.co/a4xAKN8tkc

[Kristen Horton McCaslin @krh_mccaslin]

@JustJDD @ShaneClaiborne I always thought it was “the fumes of selfish rage” — will be thinking about this for a long time now!

[Kristen Horton McCaslin @krh_mccaslin]

My husband is asleep in our room. The dog is asleep in his crate in the living room and whines if he sees me. So I’m hiding out in the guest room playing on my phone at almost 9:00 am on a Saturday morning. This is normal, right?

[Kristen Horton McCaslin @krh_mccaslin]

@sewistwrites @LindaBu27077255 🤭🤭🤭

[Kristen Horton McCaslin @krh_mccaslin]

@courtneyellis Beautiful story. I wish people understood how many of us women who end up in pastoral positions aren’t making a power grab, but do so only after trying every other way we can think of to fulfill our calling because we just can’t imagine God actually means for us to do THAT.

[Kristen Horton McCaslin @krh_mccaslin]

@BethMooreLPM This is the real reason @bezner has to get off twitter every so often!

[Kristen Horton McCaslin @krh_mccaslin]

@Bezner You’ve always known how to party.

[Kristen Horton McCaslin @krh_mccaslin]

@Scott_Bethany Same! I wanted to write that word in my notes during Bible study this week, and I was writing so slowly hoping to get it right and hoping my husband sitting beside me didn’t notice the struggle! 😆

[Rich Villodas @richvillodas]

"Moses is dead. Now then..." (Joshua 1:2)

If there was ever a verse that decenters us—especially leaders—it’s this one. Moses was the greatest leader in the history of Israel, and God just keeps it moving.

God remains the central One.

[Kristen Horton McCaslin @krh_mccaslin]

@pastorjgkell @melissa_forgey

[Kristen Horton McCaslin @krh_mccaslin]

@Bezner Welcome to the cool kids club! Traeger is a way of life.

[Kristen Horton McCaslin @krh_mccaslin]

@saoshano I’ve sat across from several who tried hard to make it make sense. All it did was make me think God had made some sort of mistake gifting me the way He did. Years later, I came to understand, God wasn’t the one who was mistaken.

[Kristen Horton McCaslin @krh_mccaslin]

Finished it yesterday. Still looking for the right words to express all it stirred in me, how grateful I am @BethMooreLPM went first. When God called me, He’d already called her, and she has faithfully let Him use her to show me the way! She’s modeled so much so well for so many.

[Beth Moore @BethMooreLPM]

Release day. Deep breath. Ok, well, here you go: the whole big knot of it. My prayer is that something in my story will mean something to yours. This much I know: the God who knows every intimate detail, knows you better than you know yourself, loves you.

https://t.co/LVUPMk6aW9