My biggest regret in 53 years of ministry is that I didn’t do my own personal exegesis sooner on the 4 passages used to restrict women. Shame on me.

I wasted those 4 yrs of Greek in college & seminary. When I finally did my proper “due diligence”, laying aside 50 years of bias, I was shocked, chagrined, and embarrassed…

I think maybe it was because I didn’t WANT to know anything that might challenge the view I WANTED to believe for 50 yrs. But eventually, integrity required that I read over 70 commentaries by INERRANTIST scholars that blew apart my comfortable, traditional, and culture-based interpretation…

Then reading over 100 books on the early church and the history of the Great Commission (for FTT) demanded my repentance. That journey was both painful and humbling…

I DO want to do this: I PUBLICLY APOLOGIZE to every good women in my life, church, and ministry that I failed to speak up for in my years of ignorance. What grieves me is that I hindered them in obeying the Great Commission command (and Acts 2:17-18) that EVERYONE is to TEACH in the church.

I held them back from using the spiritual gifts and leadership skills that the Holy Spirit had sovereignly placed in them. That breaks my heart now, and I am truly repentant and sorry for my sin… I want a clear conscience before my Master … that I repented…

We must live for an Audience of One.

statement to Southern Baptist Convention regarding vote against Women in Ministry, 2023