The Southern Baptist Convention’s Fight Against Women In Church Leadership
Written by Ashna Balroop | Edited by Veronika Milena
Are you aware that there are over 1,800 women who serve as female pastors in Southern Baptist Convention (S.B.C) churches? To be a part of the S.B.C., churches have to be approved by the convention’s membership committee. Once approved, the S.B.C. allows churches to be associated with the denomination and participate in the programs of the convention. However, two (2) churches in Southern California and Louisville, Kentucky have been expelled from the S.B.C for including female pastors, totaling 5 churches being removed in this past year.
The vote to expel these churches was initiated after a campaign by ultra-conservatives, (people on the extreme right side of the American political spectrum) in the denomination, collecting almost 2,000 signatures of support before the convention began. Ultra-conservatives who are primarily older white men make up most of the denomination. They wish to “take the ship” and “steer the church in a new course on issues of race, gender, and politics.” This implies that their goal is to make sure that the S.B.C. aligns with conservative ideals, like anti-feminism.
At the convention, the founder of Saddleback Church in Southern California, Rick Warren, ordained three female pastors. As a result, Saddleback Church was removed, and it was decided through a vote of 9,437 to 1,212. After the church’s expulsion, Warren stated that “there are people who want to take the SBC backward. Some people want to take it back to the 1950s — that is their golden age for the church, the 1950s, when basically white men rule supreme, and the woman’s place is in the home, and there is not a lot of diversity.”
A woman pastor, Linda Barnes Popham, came to the Southern Baptist Convention to appeal the decision to oust her church from the denomination. Since 1993, Popham has served as head pastor at Fern Creek Baptist Church in Kentucky. At the Southern Baptist Convention’s yearly conference, she delivered a speech passionately explaining that she has been a part of the Baptist faith since she was a teenager and that women should be allowed to serve as pastors. However, this passionate speech would not be enough for the Southern Baptists to appeal their conviction of expelling Fern Creek B.C. The convention voted a polar 9,700 to 806 to deny the appeal of Popham’s church. In addition to ousting two churches, the S.B.C. voted to amend its constitution, planning to implement an extreme ban on female pastors.
Pastor Popham believes that these votes and the wrongful amendment of the constitution, signal a moral decline for the Southern Baptists, stating that “they are going to discourage so many women from the ministry that women and their families will find other places to serve. There are such talented women out there, who obviously God has called.” Moreover, this breeds even more exclusivity in the Baptist church– denying those who can and devote themselves to serve God.
The ousted churches will continue to function and serve their communities despite unacceptance by the Southern Baptist Convention. But, the expulsions blatantly signify the everpresent fight against women holding important positions in society. Women already function as the pillars of many S.B.C. churches, impacting communities nationwide. They should continue to do so.
References:
Dias, Elizabeth, and Ruth Graham. “Southern Baptists Move to Purge Churches with Female Pastors.” The New York Times, 13 June 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/06/13/us/southern-baptist-movement-women-pastors.html?name=styln-southern-baptists®ion=TOP_BANNER&block=storyline_menu_recirc&action=click&pgtype=Article&variant=undefined.
Edmonds, Colbi. “What’s at Stake as Southern Baptists Move to Bar Female Pastors.” The New York Times, 14 June 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/06/13/us/southern-baptist-convention-pastors-women.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare.
Graham, Ruth, and Elizabeth Dias. “Southern Baptists Vote to Further Expand Restrictions on Women as Leaders.” The New York Times, 14 June 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/06/14/us/southern-baptist-women-pastors-ouster.html?name=styln-southern-baptists®ion=TOP_BANNER&block=storyline_menu_recirc&action=click&pgtype=Article&variant=undefined.
Siemaszko, Corky. “Southern Baptists Vote to Expel Two Churches Led by Female Pastors.” NBCNews.Com, 14 June 2023, www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/southern-baptists-vote-expel-two-churches-led-women-pastors-rcna89282.
Yang, Maya. “US Southern Baptist Convention Upholds Expulsion of Churches over Female Pastors.” The Guardian, 15 June 2023, www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/15/southern-baptist-church-female-pastors-expelled.
