Jun 14, 2023 - World

Southern Baptists vote to keep women out as pastors

Sareen Habeshian

Pastor Rick Warren speaks at Saddleback Community Church in Lake Forest, California in 2003. Photo: Getty Images/Bob Riha, Jr.

The Southern Baptist Convention on Wednesday approved a motion to clarify its stance that only men can be pastors in its churches.

Driving the news: The move came after the convention overwhelmingly voted a day earlier to expel two churches, including the massive Saddleback Church congregation in California and Fern Creek Baptist in Kentucky, over their inclusion of women pastors, per The Baptist Press.

Saddleback, founded by author and pastor Rick Warren, sparked controversy after three women were ordained there in 2021.
The congregation was deemed "not to be in friendly cooperation" with the convention's statement of faith due to "the church continuing to have a female teaching pastor functioning in the office of a pastor."

Of note: A third church, Freedom Church in Florida, was also voted out over unrelated reasons.

Details: The amendment added to the SBC's constitution specifies that its churches can affirm, appoint or employ "only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture," according to The Baptist Press.

Zoom out: A federal probe into the Southern Baptist Convention was announced last year amid controversies over systemic problems of clergy sexual abuse, racism and the mistreatment of women.

Flashback: The convention has also previously expelled two other churches over their inclusivity of LGBTQ individuals.

Go deeper: DOJ investigating Southern Baptist Convention over handling of sex abuse

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Southern Baptists vote to keep women out as pastors

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