The nation’s largest Protestant denomination is preparing for a high-stakes vote to restrict cooperating churches from having women pastors.
Thousands of church members belonging to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) will consider whether to alter the convention’s constitution to restrict women from serving as pastors at the annual meeting taking place this week in Orlando.
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Dr. Albert Mohler proposed the change, which he calls the Truth and Unity Amendment, Tuesday morning. The convention will adjourn Wednesday.
The new language says a cooperating church won’t be allowed to affirm, appoint or endorse a woman serving in the office or function of a pastor, elder or overseer.
Mohler recently discussed his proposal during an interview with the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. The convention previously voted to remove high-profile churches with female pastors, but Mohler argues a permanent constitutional rule will prevent exhausting floor debates every year.
“Putting the proposal I have put forward, putting that into the SBC Constitution means that the SBC doesn’t have to debate this further, doesn’t have to have an ongoing controversy, has a permanent statement that reflects the will and the conviction of the denomination,” Mohler said. “A healthy convention does not operate that way. And furthermore, I think Southern Baptists have a very limited patience to put up with these issues coming on the floor of the SBC, taking up time and deliberation, and honestly, the attention of the convention, when we’re there to do convention business.”
Mohler argued the shifted interpretations used to justify female pastors often mirror the arguments used to affirm gay relationships.
“The hermeneutic of distorting Scripture, interpreting Scripture and, I think, again, subverting the authority of Scripture to allow for a woman serving as pastor is the same hermeneutical pattern used to affirm the LGBTQ rebellion,” Mohler said. “If you can look at the biblical text and say, ‘well, that can be read different ways,’ or you can look at the biblical text and say, ‘well, that’s not talking about what it’s clearly talking about’ … then you’re just giving away the doctrinal fidelity of the body.”
The proposed change requires a simple majority to suspend the standing rule for debate, followed by a two-thirds supermajority vote at this convention and again next year to officially alter the constitution.
