Southern Baptist Amendment Limiting Pastors to Men Fails in Indianapolis, Indiana Vote

The Southern Baptist Convention, which one report describes as the country’s largest Protestant evangelical organization, met in Indianapolis for its 2024 conference. On Wednesday morning, thousands of SBC members formally voted on adding language on women in pastoral leadership to the organization’s Constitution. The proposed language stated that the office of pastor, elder or overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture. Previously, that position appeared only in the church’s statement of faith.

The SBC said the amendment did not receive the two-thirds vote required for adoption. A second report, from juicyecumenism.com, describes the amendment differently. In its account, the proposal would have barred churches with women pastors from remaining in cooperation with the convention. That report says the amendment received 60 percent of the vote but fell short of the two-thirds majority. It identifies Juan Sanchez, pastor of High Pointe Baptist Church in Austin, Texas, as the amendment’s introducer. The first report does not name a sponsor, and it does not give a vote percentage.

According to the first report, several churches, including Saddleback Church in California and Charlotte-based Elevation Church, withdrew membership in recent years over the convention’s position on the subject. Those who oppose women in pastoral leadership cite 1 Timothy 2:12 in their defense. A woman identified as Lavarin said the Convention’s debate over the issue has gone on for years and that God would want something different. Departing churches show how difficult it can be to keep fellowship intact on a divisive question, a concern for unity (Psalm 133:1).

The second report also covers discussion beyond the amendment. Jeff Iorg, president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, warned that the amendment could shift the conversation to attorneys and insurance companies. He noted that the Credentials Committee is involved in a defamation lawsuit that is being appealed to the Tennessee Supreme Court. The report describes that lawsuit only as Iorg’s reference to it and gives no further details of the case.

The same report says a motion to abolish the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) failed but gained support. It states that nearly 43 percent of messengers backed the motion this year, compared with about a quarter in 2024. The report does not give further detail on the year-to-year comparison. It also reports that Brent Leatherwood, the current ERLC president, signed an open letter opposing legislation that would criminalize women who have abortions.