Southern Baptist Convention Debates Ban on Women Pastors Amidst Political Ties
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, is set to debate a proposed amendment to its constitution that would formally ban churches with women serving in any pastoral role. This marks the fourth consecutive year the issue has been brought to the table at the SBC's annual meeting, which this year is being held in Orlando, Florida. The proposed amendment, introduced by Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, seeks to exclude any church that endorses a woman serving in the office or function of a pastor, elder, or overseer. The SBC's statement of belief, the Baptist Faith and Message, already limits the office of pastor to men, but this is nonbinding on churches. The amendment requires a two-thirds supermajority to pass, a threshold it has failed to meet in previous years. The debate comes amidst a backdrop of declining membership within the SBC, which has seen its numbers fall to 12.3 million, the lowest since 1973. 
