Southern Baptists to debate strict ban on female preachers

The Southern Baptist Convention begins next week, and among the amendments being presented is a tougher rule to block women from the pulpit.

Currently, the SBC only affirms that it believes women do not belong in the office of the pastor, its website says. It "is reserved for qualified men." There is no hard-and-fast ban.

Al.com reported on Friday that a Samford University graduate will present an amendment that would officially ban women.

"Rev. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said he plans to propose a constitutional amendment to clarify that no participating Southern Baptist church can allow women to serve as senior pastors or even have the word 'pastor' in their staff title, or they will be disfellowshipped," the report said, citing the Baptist Press.

The amendment will require a two-thirds majority, and similar amendments have previously failed to pass.

The SBC resolutions committee is also proposing a measure restating its opposition to women serving as pastors. That has a greater chance of passing because it only requires a simple majority.

The resolution would reiterate the stance against women as pastors, “to reaffirm that the office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.”

It will also say, “the New Testament presents the pastoral office and the function of pastoral oversight of the church as inseparably connected.”

It demands that churches “maintain clarity and integrity in their ministerial titles and practices so that nomenclature is not used in ways that obscure or contradict the Convention’s adopted statement of faith regarding the pastoral office.”

“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,” the resolutions committee said in a statement.

One major example of disfellowship was Pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback Church. His website referred to female staffers as pastors.

Warren responded to the disfellowship with a passionate speech in 2023, saying, in part, that churches with “women on pastoral staff have not sinned."

SBC Resolutions Committee Chair Hunter Baker told the Baptist Press, "For the vast majority of Southern Baptists, I think this issue is one that has always been settled by Scripture as opposed to the interpretation of various church authorities. We believe that by focusing on what the Bible says about the office of the pastor, we are able to effectively express where Baptists already are."