Honor the Father of the Conservative Resurgence

Rick Patrick, Pastor
FBC Sylacauga, Alabama
Executive Director, Connect 316
Publisher, SBC Today

In the midst of today’s #MeToo society, Paige Patterson is not being charged with committing any type of abuse at all. Take a moment to let that sink in. He did not touch someone inappropriately. He has not been unfaithful to his wife. He is not being charged with the same kind of offenses that dozens of other well-known men have been charged with over the past year. Instead, over a lifetime of ministry, he has been charged with making a few careless statements, for which he has offered his clarification and expressed [his sincere regret]. 

Because one must always consider the source, it is worth mentioning that in the case currently before the SBC, those calling for action based on inaccurate information have been stirred up by Ed Stetzer, a former SBC employee with a history of criticizing Patterson, and Jonathan Merritt, a former associate minister who was [outed as a homosexual by his former lover Azariah Southworth in 2012]. Primarily, these are the two people behind the attacks on the Father of the Conservative Resurgence. In light of their personal histories, one could be forgiven for suspecting a hidden agenda is at work here.

For the most part, Patterson’s critics have offered two major accusations, both of which are manifestly false, despite the “success” of Twitter in rapidly spreading this misinformation, and the willingness of the mainstream media to promote the story in a manner consistent with its usual liberal bias. (I am referring to the Washington Post, with its close ties to Russell Moore, and to Christianity Today, with its close ties to Ed Stetzer.)

False Charge One: Did Patterson Knowingly Advise an Abused Woman to Return to Her Abuser?

Evidence exists of Patterson in a 2000 interview inaccurately recounting that he once told a woman being abused to go back into the home and simply pray by her bedside for her husband, at which point she suffered the abuse of two black eyes. The climax of the story was that the husband came to church, trusting in Jesus for salvation, and restoring their marriage, such that there was never again any abuse. Of course, the concern is that in Patterson’s original yet false recounting of the story, he supposedly advised a woman he knew was being abused to go back into the home of her abuser rather than separate from her husband and contact the authorities. We now know Patterson did no such thing. Yes, he advised a woman to pray for her husband, but he had no idea at the time that she was being physically abused. 

All of this was clarified in an [April 30 article by Baptist Press]. Patterson admitted that he had previously misstated the facts, thus revealing the false nature of the narrative now being spread far and wide on social media:

• “Any physical or sexual abuse of anyone should be reported immediately to the appropriate authorities, as I have always done.”
  
• Patterson clarified to BP he did not suspect any physical abuse in the relationship prior to the episode he recounted.
• Any hint in the audio clip that he did suspect prior physical abuse was an error in the recounting, he said, adding, “I’m sure I didn’t tell it as well as I should have.”
• A March 2018 “statement on abuse” by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW), Patterson said, agrees “entirely” with his views. CBMW called abuse “not only a sin but … also a crime” that must be reported “to civil authorities” by “church and ministry leaders.”

According to [an article by David Allen], this counseling situation took place 54 years ago. Patterson would have been only 21 or 22. Frankly, this helps explain his difficulty in accurately recounting the story after all these years. Despite such fuzzy details, Patterson’s clarification really should settle the matter. He has admitted that he botched the story when he told it back in 2000, that he had not suspected any physical abuse when asking the woman to pray by her bedside, and that knowingly sending a woman back to her abuser’s bedroom in no way reflects his belief regarding the proper handling of spousal abuse.

This event from 1964 recounted poorly by Patterson in 2000 simply did not happen the way it is being reported on social media and picked up by the mainstream press. As one who has on many occasions recounted events poorly, I do not believe this is the unpardonable sin. Patterson’s clarification on April 30 is a correction of his own false statement in the 2000 interview. When he gave this woman the advice to pray by her bedside, he did not know or suspect she had suffered any physical abuse. This changes the entire narrative. According to Patterson’s clarification, he never knowingly sent an abused woman back to her abuser’s bedroom. 

False Charge Two: Did Patterson “Objectify” a Teenage Girl or Illustrate the Creation of Woman?

Evidence also exists of Patterson sharing a story in a 2014 sermon in which he was explaining the difference between two Hebrew words in the creation account. Adam was “formed” like basic pottery, while Eve was “fashioned” like a palace or a work of art. Eve was crafted beautifully and artistically for Adam. She was “made” for him. She was “built” for him. However, Adam was not made for Eve in the same way at all. 

In the course of sharing this word study in his sermon, Patterson told the story of a mother speaking to him in the presence of her teenage son. An attractive sixteen year-old girl passed by. As Patterson recounted the story for the congregation, he told them that the girl who had passed by that day was “nice.” He meant it in the sense that she was pretty and not simply that she was pleasant in her disposition. As he continued the story, Patterson said the teenage boy remarked that the girl was “built.” His mother scolded her son for saying so, while Patterson joked that actually the young man was making an accurate biblical observation. God “fashioned” women to be beautiful in form so that teenage boys would notice and desire them. God’s plan was always for humans to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. Thus, He “designed” or “built” women in a way that is visually and aesthetically pleasing to men.

Granted, in today’s world, it can be hard to distinguish between the creepy “objectifying” of women and girls and the healthy “noticing” that someone is attractive. Some have objected to Patterson’s use of the word “nice.” Would I prefer an expression like “cute” or “pretty” or “beautiful inside and out?” Sure. But Patterson is not the only minister who has spoken of female beauty at times in awkward ways. Young Pastors in skinny jeans serving contemporary churches will sometimes introduce their wives as “smoking hot.” Even though this expression only draws attention to the physical beauty of their wives, these ministers are never terminated or forced out of pulpits for such objectifying remarks.

If anyone in this story was “objectifying” it was the teenage boy who looked at the girl and called her “built.” We can certainly wish that he had spoken of her godliness, intelligence, talent, and sense of humor, but instead, he chose to act like most teenage boys and focus on her outward beauty. For that matter, teenage girls have been known to express occasional crushes on guys as well, sometimes even making reference to the male physique. Frankly, I’m not really sure there is any scandal here at all. What we have is a boy noticing a pretty girl and a preacher telling a story about it to illustrate that God fashioned women to be aesthetically pleasing to men. In the words of Robert A. Gagnon, “I don’t think I’m revealing a state secret when I say that teenage boys throughout history have found some teenage girls to be physically attractive and in conversation with other males have noted that fact.” This is not exactly Watergate.

Support Paige Patterson

Without Paige Patterson, the Southern Baptist Convention would have embraced abortion and homosexuality years ago. We would have trended more liberal theologically, socially, and politically, and would almost certainly have homosexual clergy today, as is common among many mainline denominations. We would question the inerrancy and truthfulness of God’s Word. The supernatural accounts of miracles would be doubted or explained away. In short, we would not be a Bible believing people.

In order to fight the Battle for the Bible and uphold the inerrancy of Scripture, Paige Patterson suffered himself to be called every name in the book. But there is one name he cannot, in all honesty, be called. Paige Patterson is not abusive toward women, nor does he condone the abuse of women by others. This is a false narrative, spun by savvy wordsmiths with an axe to grind. They are admittedly armed with access to extremely powerful media outlets. But they are in the wrong, and the reason is obvious.

The story here is that, just like Moses, Nehemiah, Paul, and even Jesus, Paige Patterson has managed, over the course of his long ministry, to accumulate a few enemies clearly out to get him. Trustees, please consider the well-being of our entire convention and the historic significance of your actions. Do not succumb to this crafty campaign of injustice in which fifty-four year old stories retold poorly eighteen years ago have been dredged up by opponents of Dr. Patterson to tear a great man down as he nears his retirement. Here, at the twilight of his stellar ministry, the Father of the Conservative Resurgence has simply and undeniably earned the benefit of the doubt. Dr. Paige Patterson should not be tarred and feathered and ridden out of town on a rail. Rather, he and his faithful wife Dorothy should be allowed to ride off into the sunset to the applause of a grateful denomination. 

Please contact the current Board of Trustees at Southwestern Seminary before May 22nd and voice your support for Dr. Paige Patterson. Their names and addresses are listed below. Also, if you want to join nearly 300 people who have already signed this [PETITION IN SUPPORT OF DR. PATTERSON], please click on the link, fill in the information box, complete the “I am not a robot” task, and press “SIGN THE PETITION.” You should then receive the message that you have successfully signed the petition.

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