My Soapbox about the T4G or Together for the Gospel

Together for the Gospel or T4G recently held a conference in Louisville, KY. The main leaders of this conference are CJ Mahaney, Albert Mohler, Mark Dever, & Ligon Duncan. Now I don't mind telling you that Albert Mohler is the President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary who has brought it to its present demise, and who uses ghost writers. I say demise because they lost their accreditation, and he ran off all the Professors simply because he decided they were too "Liberal" and not "Bible Believing". (Enough of that rant, SBTS was my alumnae seminary, pre Mohler days)
I had not paid much attention to their live blog from the conference. But I had been reading off and on what was being written about the conference on Adrian Warnock's UK Evangelical Blog. Well today I read this comment he took from another person's blog "Musings of an English Muffin", it was a woman's comment (her name being Libbie), about T4G's, He even called it a "Lady's view of T4G, and why Egalitarianism IS a hindrance to the Gospel." Oh, Boy. After I read the whole comment this woman, Libbie, had made, and the comments, I was sick to my stomache, and mad. She at first was upset about no women being there and the article 16 which is later in this note, but then argues herself right out of her own thoughts and feelings. So here I blog my thoughts.
This was an exclusive conference for men only, sounds like Southern Baptist. Then they have come up with this statement as if they are the only ones who know anything about the Gospel and representing it, we women clergy sure don't according to them. Here is the opening sentance of that statement. " We are brothers in Christ united in one great cause – to stand together for the Gospel." You got that, women you are not united and your cause is not theirs and nor do you stand with them. This is a man's battle according to them, and only they can save the church, and only they if you believe with them and like them. Let me just throw up.

Here is another sentance in their statement: "We are also brothers united in deep concern for
the church and the Gospel." Now women this is no concern of yours, you just go mind your own business, we'll take care of it. Right, like you all have been taking care of it all these years, and have had a concern all these years.

This thing has 16 articles, and this is the one about women: "
Article XVI
We affirm that the Scripture reveals a pattern of
complementary order between men and women, and
that this order is itself a testimony to the Gospel, even
as it is the gift of our Creator and Redeemer. We also
affirm that all Christians are called to service within
the body of Christ, and that God has given to both
men and women important and strategic roles within
the home, the church, and the society. We further
affirm that the teaching office of the church is assigned
only to those men who are called of God in fulfillment
of the biblical teachings and that men are to lead in
their homes as husbands and fathers who fear and
love God.
We deny that the distinction of roles between men
and women revealed in the Bible is evidence of mere
cultural conditioning or a manifestation of male
oppression or prejudice against women. We also deny
that this biblical distinction of roles excludes women
from meaningful ministry in ChristÂ’s kingdom. We
further deny that any church can confuse these issues
without damaging its witness to the Gospel.

Are you confused or what, threatened just a little bit? Okay we as women can minister, but at what. You can bet if this says that men are the head of the house then the man is the head of the church in their view. You as a woman can minister, by cleaning the church, cooking, teaching each other, and the children, singing in the choir, and whatever else we men don't want to do.
AARGH

All this reminds me of why I am no longer a Southern Baptist, and why so many are leaving the denomination. This also smacks of the statement they were trying to get the Professors to sign, and those that didn't were forced to leave. (Isn't church history full of leaders and denominations forcing their doctrine on others?)

Rhett Smith raises the some thoughts about t4g statement and article, also that are worth reading. The Jolly Blogger takes exception to Rhett Smith, and probably me, by saying it is not "Oppression of Women." (excuse me.) If it is not that then what is it?
This will gripe you too "On the Feminization of the Church, Why Its Music, Messages and Ministries Are Driving Men Away." Like men were going to church all along, and being active in church when men were pastors and preaching. Right. Okay so if that is your point, why is it that I as a female clergy have been able to establish a men's program that none of the other male clergy did, or why men do come to our church, why havbaptizeded men, have young men coming to our church?

In this article at Ochuk's Blog he really takes on the anti-woman mood of t4g in an article called t4g(ender hierarchy). Thanks man for challenging their mindset about women, but other matters as well.

If this thing plays out as it did at the Seminary and in the Southern Baptist Convention, we are headed for dark days when those who think they have the answer exclude those who would hold other opinions. But I am no longer Southern Baptist, and I am glad. I feel sorry for those who still are, including my mom.

I'll come down off my soap box now, just for now.