Southern Baptists to consider tough stance against women pastors

As the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) prepares to gather in Orlando for its annual meeting on June 9-10, the denomination is once again squaring up for a high-stakes debate regarding the role of women in church leadership.

A Push for Constitutional Change

The Rev. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a graduate of Samford University, is leading a push to tighten restrictions. Mohler intends to propose a constitutional amendment that would strictly forbid participating churches from employing women as senior pastors or even utilizing the title “pastor” for staff positions. Under the proposal, churches failing to adhere to these rules would face disfellowship. This amendment would require a two-thirds majority vote to pass, a high threshold given that similar measures have faltered in two of the last three annual meetings.

Resolutions Committee Weighs In

While Mohler pursues a constitutional route, the SBC resolutions committee is moving forward with a separate proposal. This resolution aims to formally restate the denomination’s historical opposition to women serving as pastors. Chair Hunter Baker noted that the committee utilized Scripture and the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 to write its resolution, which is viewed as having a stronger chance of passage than the constitutional amendment.

The committee stated, “Confusion has arisen in some Southern Baptist churches regarding the relationship between the title, office and function of pastor, including the use of title ‘pastor,’ ‘elder’ or ‘overseer’ for roles that either do not carry the responsibilities of the pastoral office or are assigned in ways inconsistent with the Convention’s articulated understanding of Scripture on this matter.”

Tensions in the Convention

The debate is heavily influenced by the 2023 disfellowship of Saddleback Church, a major Southern Baptist congregation founded by Rick Warren, author of “Purpose-Driven Life.” The move was triggered by the church’s decision to list women on its staff as “pastors.” At that time, Warren delivered an impassioned speech defending the decision, arguing that those churches had not sinned.

Despite the push for strict limits, the proposed resolution acknowledges the contributions of women within the church. It expresses gratitude for the “indispensable service, discipleship, evangelism, missions work, and ministry contributions of women throughout Southern Baptist life” while encouraging churches to continue deploying women in ways deemed biblically faithful. Ultimately, the resolution reaffirms the stance that the roles of “pastor/elder/overseer” remain limited to men as defined by the denomination’s interpretation of Scripture.