Houston Pastor Seeks Christian Women To Lead International Movement in Response To SBC Vote Against Women

Organization is recruiting female chapter leaders to build local communities where women can develop their voices, strengthen families and turn faith into meaningful action

HOUSTON, Texas — In direct response to the Southern Baptist Convention’s recent vote to further restrict women from pastoral leadership and preaching, Mission Driven Church today announced the international expansion of Mission Driven Sisters, a Christian leadership movement created to equip women to use their God-given voices, lead with courage and create meaningful change in their communities.

The movement is now recruiting women to serve as Chapter Leaders for new Mission Driven Sisters chapters across the United States and internationally.

On June 10, 2026, messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention voted 6,028–2,026 to advance a constitutional amendment that would exclude churches that affirm or appoint women as pastors, elders or overseers, or allow women to preach to the assembled congregation. The amendment must receive another two-thirds vote at the denomination’s 2027 annual meeting before taking effect.

For Mission Driven Church founder and senior pastor Bridget Irby, the vote represents more than a denominational policy dispute. It raises a larger and more urgent question: What happens to communities, families and churches when women are continually taught to question the leadership gifts God placed inside them?

“At a moment when the world desperately needs courageous, compassionate and conviction-led leadership, the answer cannot be to make women smaller,” Irby said. “Women do not need another institution debating whether their voices are valid. They need training, community and a place to put their faith into action. Mission Driven Sisters exists to help them do exactly that.”

Mission Driven Sisters is not a campaign for titles, pulpits or institutional permission. It is an international network of women committed to developing as leaders, building authentic community, strengthening families and serving people in practical, visible ways.

Local chapters will bring women together for leadership development, Bible study, mentorship, meaningful relationships and community service. Members will be encouraged to identify needs in their own cities and respond—from supporting widows and single mothers to mentoring young women, delivering meals, helping families in crisis and advocating for people whose voices are too often ignored.

“This is not about asking every woman to become a pastor,” Irby said. “It is about refusing to tell any woman that obedience to God requires silence. Deborah led. Esther risked her life and used her influence. Priscilla taught. Phoebe served as a trusted leader in the early church. Scripture does not present women as spectators—and neither will we.”

The organization is seeking women who feel called to build and lead local Mission Driven Sisters communities. Chapter Leaders will receive centralized training, program resources, leadership support and access to a broader network of women united by a shared mission.

Not every woman is called to lead a chapter, Irby emphasized, but every woman has a place in the movement.

“Some women are called to organize. Some are called to teach, mentor, pray, provide meals, sit beside the grieving or stand beside the woman who believes she has to face life alone,” Irby said. “We need all of it. Leadership is not only what happens on a platform. Leadership is what happens whenever a woman sees a need, answers God’s call and takes the first faithful step.”

Mission Driven Sisters is inviting women across denominations, professions, cultures and countries to help build a global network grounded in faith and expressed through action.

Women interested in becoming a Chapter Leader, launching a chapter in their city or joining the movement may visit missiondrivensisters.com to apply.

“If institutions close doors, we will build tables,” Irby said. “If women are told to sit down, we will help them stand firmly in who God created them to be. And if the world is waiting for women of faith to lead with courage, compassion and conviction, then we are answering: We are here. We are ready. And we are just getting started.”

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About Mission Driven Sisters

Mission Driven Sisters is an international Christian women’s leadership movement of Mission Driven Church. It exists to develop women as leaders, build authentic community, strengthen families and mobilize women to create meaningful impact. Through local chapters, leadership training, Bible study, mentorship and practical service, Mission Driven Sisters helps women move from faith as a private belief to faith that leaves a visible footprint in the world.

About Bridget Irby

Bridget Irby is the founder and senior pastor of Mission Driven Church, an MBA-trained leadership strategist, business transformation expert, international speaker and bestselling author. After leading multimillion-dollar organizational turnarounds and walking through profound personal loss, Irby founded Mission Driven Church to create the kind of faith community she believes people need most: one that develops leaders, builds authentic relationships and shows up when life becomes difficult.

Contact:
Bridget Irby
Mission Driven Church
[email protected]

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