Dr. Albert Mohler, prominent theologian and president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, announced Monday (May 18) that he will propose a motion to amend the constitution of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) to clarify women’s preaching and leadership roles in SBC churches.
This year’s SBC meeting will take place in Orlando, Florida, on June 9-10. Mohler will have an opportunity to present his motion Tuesday, June 9, during either the 9:35 a.m. or 3:45 p.m. new motions allotted time slots.
The SBC’s Baptist Faith & Message 2000 currently states, “While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.”
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In recent years, debates during the annual meeting have ranged from whether it is biblical to allow a woman to preach during a worship service to what defines a pastor.
Mohler praised Southern Baptists for their “tremendous amount of fellowship” and unity displayed each year during the annual meeting.
“It is for the cause of our unity in the truth that I intend to bring a motion to the Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando to amend the constitution of the Southern Baptist Convention,” he said during a video announcement. “I’m going to move that the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in June 2026 amend the constitution of the SBC to add an enumerated sixth item under Article 3, Paragraph 1, defining composition.”
He continued, “This new language would make clear that a cooperating Southern Baptist Church does not act to affirm, appoint or endorse a woman serving in the office or function of a pastor, elder, overseer, such as preaching to the assembled congregation.”
Mohler explained that he will “move the suspension of standing rule six so that the committee on the order of business may schedule this motion for debate and consideration” during this year’s annual meeting.
Mohler’s Proposal Comes After Mike Law’s and Juan Sanchez’s Attempts Failed
For the past three years, SBC messengers have attempted to amend the constitution regarding the role of women in the SBC.
During the 2023 SBC annual meeting, messengers voted on an amendment that Mike Law, pastor of Arlington Baptist Church in Arlington, Virginia, had proposed.
“I move that the Constitution of the Southern Baptist Convention be amended to include an enumerated 6th item under Article 3, Paragraph 1, concerning composition,” Law proposed. “The enumerated 6th item would read: ‘6. Does not affirm, appoint, or employ a woman as a pastor of any kind.’”
