Changes
/* History */
==History==
The BF&M originated in 1925 out of the much older New Hampshire Confession of Faithand the Philadelphia Confession. It has been amended three times: in 1963, 1998, and 2000.
The 1998 version consisted of a single change: an entire new section (Section XVIII) on The Family. The 2000 revision added, among other notable changes, a sentence in Section XV (The Christian and the Social Order) supporting the [[sanctity of life]] and disavowing all forms of sexual immorality, homosexuality being specifically named.
The 1998 and 2000 revisions were controversial among the liberal elements of the SBC (most of whom were supporters of the [[Cooperative Baptist Fellowship]], a liberal splinter group) for the following changes:
*The new section on The Family specifically held to the view of [[traditional marriage]], and furthermore the BF&M added a sentence in Section XV denouncing all forms of sexual immorality which specifically referenced [[homosexuality]].
*A sentence in Section VI (The Church) specifically limited the role of pastor to men only.<ref>The BF&M did not, however, mention anything about limiting the roles of elder -- mainly because Southern Baptists have traditionally considered elder and pastor to be the same office -- or deacon to men only. In practice, those SBC congregations which have elders limit them to men, while those SBC churches allowing female deacons have generally limited them to women who are married to male deaconsor who were such but now widowed.</ref>
*Finally, it removed the statement from Section I (The Scriptures) that Jesus Christ was the standard by which the Bible was to be interpreted, in response to liberal groups which were elevating the "red letter" words of Jesus (and, in some cases, what He specifically did not say, an example being the subject of homosexuality) over the remainder of Scripture (the traditional view of the SBC has been, and is, that ''all'' Scripture is ''equally'' inspired by God).
