Southern Baptists Consider Tightening Ban on Churches with Women Pastors Amidst Declining Membership
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, is set to debate a proposal to formally ban churches with women serving in any pastoral role during their annual meeting in Florida. This marks the fourth consecutive year that such a measure has been considered. 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, specifically in preaching roles. The SBC's statement of belief, the Baptist Faith and Message, already limits the office of pastor to men, although this is nonbinding on individual churches. The debate comes as the SBC faces a continued decline in membership, now at its lowest since 1973, despite a recent increase in baptisms. 
