Mohler to Bring Motion to Bar Women Pastors at SBC Meeting in Orlando, Florida

Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, announced on Monday, May 18, that he will bring a motion to amend the constitution of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). He said the amendment would clarify the roles of women in preaching and leadership in SBC churches.

The SBC’s annual meeting will be held June 9-10 in Orlando, Florida. Mohler is scheduled to present his motion on Tuesday, June 9, during either the 9:35 a.m. or 3:45 p.m. time slots allotted for new motions.

The SBC’s Baptist Faith & Message 2000 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.”

In a video announcement, Mohler praised Southern Baptists for the “tremendous amount of fellowship” and unity they display each year at the annual meeting. He said he intends to bring the motion “for the cause of our unity in the truth” (Ephesians 4:15). As described by Mohler, the proposed language would add an enumerated sixth item under Article 3, Paragraph 1, defining composition. It would state 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 or overseer, “such as preaching to the assembled congregation.”

Mohler said he will move to suspend standing rule six so the committee on the order of business can schedule the motion for debate and consideration at this year’s meeting.

Messengers have attempted to amend the constitution on the role of women in the SBC for the past three years. At the 2023 annual meeting, messengers voted on an amendment proposed by Mike Law, pastor of Arlington Baptist Church in Arlington, Virginia. That proposal would have added an item stating that a cooperating church “does not affirm, appoint, or employ a woman as a pastor of any kind.” A related report notes that a separate constitutional amendment banning female pastors again failed to achieve a two-thirds majority.

In recent years, debates at the annual meeting have ranged from whether it is biblical for a woman to preach during a worship service to what defines a pastor.

Source: Read the original report