(RNS) — Southern Baptists, after lengthy debate Wednesday (June 14), voted on new language for their constitution that would state only men can be pastors of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination.
The wording, which must be approved two years in a row, would be added to an article of the constitution that describes ways that churches can be in “friendly cooperation” with the Southern Baptist Convention, which the current constitution defines as churches that agree with the SBC’s statement of faith, contribute to its funding program or entities, do not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity and do not condone sexual abuse.
The new language would add that a church “affirms, appoints, or employs only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture.”
At the 2022 annual meeting, Virginia pastor Mike Law recommended an amendment that would only allow churches to cooperate with the SBC if they do not “affirm, appoint, or employ a woman as a pastor of any kind.”
He spoke to his intent at a microphone at New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on the second day of the two-day annual meeting.
Law, pastor of Arlington Baptist Church, described being in an area with a small percentage of evangelical Christians when he spoke on the floor of the convention on Wednesday.
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“Over a year ago, I realized that five Southern Baptist churches within a five-mile radius of my congregation had women serving as pastors, including senior pastors,” he said. “When an unbeliever looks for a Southern Baptist church in my area, we want them to find a church that holds the Bible’s teachings and our convention’s beliefs.”
Juan Sanchez, senior pastor of High Pointe Baptist Church in Austin, Texas, introduced a substitute motion with language that focused on men instead of women.
“This motion states what we believe positively: We agree that both men and women are gifted for service in the church,” he said. “Women are a gift to the church, and we affirm their vital roles in the ministry of the church and church staffs.”
The SBC Executive Committee voted Monday (June 12) to approve placing the amendment before the messengers, or delegates, during this year’s meeting. But they also noted their opposition to changing the constitution to address the issue, with some members saying during the meeting that the faith statement is the place for such doctrinal issues.
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