Progressive National Baptist Convention elects woman to leadership role for first time

The Progressive National Baptist Convention (PNBC) has taken a significant step in its leadership structure by electing Jacqueline A. Thompson as second vice president during its 61st annual session on Aug. 11. This marks the first time a woman has held an elected leadership role within the convention’s six-decade history.

Thompson, who serves as senior pastor of Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland, Calif., has a notable history of leadership within the congregation. She was the first woman to serve as assistant pastor at the church and later became the first woman to lead it following the retirement of J. Alfred Smith. Her election to the PNBC leadership reflects a broader movement within the denomination toward inclusive representation.

Thompson expressed hope that her election would inspire women and girls in religious communities, emphasizing that God has equipped them for service and leadership. “Progress often occurs at a place slower than we had hoped,” she said, referencing the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “But — as Dr. King reminded us — though the arc of the moral universe is long, it bends toward justice.”

PNBC President David Peoples highlighted the significance of Thompson’s election, noting that she is the first Black woman to be elected to a national leadership position within any Black Baptist denomination. He expressed excitement about her contributions to the convention and to religious organizations nationwide, stating that her leadership serves as an example for young people.

The Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Baptist denomination in the U.S., has a more limited history of electing women to leadership roles. While no woman has ever been elected president of the SBC, three women have held second vice president positions and one has served as first vice president, all before the denomination’s conservative resurgence. These women include Marie Mathis, Myra Bates, and Christine Gregory.

The American Baptist Churches USA have a stronger record of women in leadership, with Helen Barrett Montgomery becoming the first woman president of any Protestant denomination in the U.S. in 1921. Two breakaway groups from the SBC, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Alliance of Baptists, have also elected multiple women to top leadership roles.

Thompson’s election underscores a growing trend within Black Baptist denominations toward recognizing and elevating women’s contributions to leadership and ministry. As the PNBC continues to evolve, her leadership may serve as a model for other denominations seeking to embrace diversity and inclusion in their structures.

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