How women pastors became public enemy No. 1 in the SBC
Attendees hold up their ballots while voting on a motion during the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, June 9, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
(RNS) — Southern Baptists have long believed that only men can be pastors. But for decades, the denomination took no action to expel churches where women pastors served. Then, in the middle of an abuse controversy, it became a denominational crisis.
