In the weeks following the Southern Baptist Convention’s June 2026 vote to further an amendment that would more formally restrict the roles of women in ministry, I came across a number of statements and posts from faith communities and leaders on social media. One statement in particular left me simultaneously scratching my head and rolling my eyes: “We believe Scripture teaches male headship in the home and in church leadership, and we believe Scripture is full of women who were called, gifted, trusted and used powerfully by God.”
This way of thinking, sometimes referred to as “soft” complementarianism or “soft comp,” differs slightly from traditional complementarianism, which is the belief that men and women are equal but have different roles. While traditional complementarianism insists on maintaining strict gender roles, soft complementarianism is more flexible, allowing women to serve in various ministries and leadership roles yet reserving positions such as senior pastor or elder for men.
Sarah Dunn
At first glance, soft complementarianism may seem like a reasonable compromise. However, male headship still limits what a woman can do to what a man decides is right and proper. She only has as much freedom as the men above and/or beside her allow.
I want to be clear: Complementarianism is not problematic because it embraces different roles for different people. Whether a church believes in traditional complementarianism or “soft” complementarianism, it is the core belief in male headship, which inherently places women below men, that is the problem.
“It is the core belief in male headship, which inherently places women below men, that is the problem.”
The orthodoxy of male headship is much easier to define than the orthopraxy. In other words, I understand why some churches believe in male headship. What is less clear to me is what male headship looks like in practice, particularly when a church claims to affirm female pastors. Many who believe in male headship say men should be leaders in the home and church, leading their wives, their children and their congregation. This often includes men having the final say on decisions.
When a church says it affirms female ministers and male headship, I can only conclude they believe a man must be in leadership over a woman minister, either as a co-pastor or as a senior pastor or elder, and that the male leader should make the final decision should disagreements arise.
Jesus himself told us in Matthew 7:16 to look at the fruit, and the doctrine of male headship has produced some pretty rotten fruit.
First, it creates opportunities for the abuse of authority. At best, the men who hold these beliefs are kind, respectful human beings who love their wives and sisters in ministry. They may never feel the need to enact this “final say” authority because they regard their female counterparts with respect and dignity.
At worst, this doctrine leaves families and churches vulnerable to abuse by men who would take advantage of their ability to have the final say in decisions. Too many women have experienced men taking advantage of their role as “head” of the church and home to control, abuse and silence the women in their families and congregations.
Many of us saw this play out in real time when a 2022 Guidepost report revealed the names of more than 700 individuals and churches accused of committing or covering up sexual abuse within SBC contexts. After the release of this report, survivors came forward to share their stories, which included responses by church leaders that were dismissive or even threatening. Women should be able to hold men accountable, but male headship suggests men are accountable before God and not to their female counterparts.
Second, the belief in male headship undermines the God-given authority and priesthood of women. As Baptists, we affirm that every believer has direct access to God without the need for a human intermediary. We often refer to this doctrine as “the priesthood of all believers.” How can some believers affirm male headship while also affirming the priesthood of all believers?
“How can some believers affirm male headship while also affirming the priesthood of all believers?”
The basis of male headship is that men are leaders over women. If a woman believes she has heard from God and her husband or male pastor disagrees, male headship says the man gets the final say. How can a woman exercise true spiritual freedom, freedom which was fought for not only by human martyrs over the last 2,000 years but also by Jesus’ own sacrifice, if a man can override her simply by virtue of being male? What is the purpose of male headship if women already hear from God directly?
Third, the doctrine of male headship functions as a self-fulfilling prophecy, one that is very effective. Male headship says women can’t lead, so women don’t seek leadership. Male headship encourages women to trust men’s interpretation of Scripture over their own, so women don’t learn to listen to the Holy Spirit within.
Male headship teaches girls they must submit to men, so they spend their lives making themselves small enough to fit inside man-made boxes instead of encountering a God who is bigger than we could ever imagine. Such rotten fruit should prompt us to look more closely at the tree. Perhaps it is high time we cut down this dead tree in order to allow new, healthy growth to flourish.
There are numerous books, studies and programs dedicated to teaching women how to become submissive wives and how to respect men’s headship. What if, instead of writing books that instruct men to be leaders and women to be followers, we produced more materials that would help individuals discover and discern their own gifts? What if we equipped both men and women to be full, equal partners rather than ensuring the husband or male leader has final say on decisions? How might the church be transformed if leaders were chosen based on their callings and giftings rather than on gender?
What women need is partnership, not headship. Women need the support of men who have the wisdom and discernment to recognize the gifts God has given them. Women need male friends and colleagues who will advocate for them and help them follow through on their calling. Women deserve to have a seat at the table and not be asked to get up and refill everyone’s coffee or take notes in the meeting.
Functionally, women serve in pastoral roles in just about every church. Women provide pastoral care; they teach, they preach, and they minister, even if not from behind the pulpit. Women have been leading throughout history, from Genesis to Revelation and from the first century to the 21st. Women are equally capable of hearing from God, equally called to serve in God’s kingdom and equally needed as pastors and ministers.
As is written in Matthew 9:37, the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few — there is no place for discrimination or hierarchy in the kingdom of heaven. While men sit in board room meetings and conferences debating whether a woman’s podcast sounded too pastoral, women are in the trenches doing the work. We will continue to do so regardless of what a group of men decides, because God decided long ago to empower and call women.
We will be preaching, teaching and prophesying, raising the next generation while also trying to make the world a better place for them and fighting for justice, feeding the hungry, healing the sick and caring for the needy. You’ll find us out there in the margins, in the same places Jesus could be found.
Imagine what might be accomplished for the kingdom if the church stopped hindering women and instead blessed the ministry of women in whatever capacity we are called to.
Sarah Dunn is a first-year master of divinity student at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology and the co-founder and president of Heard and Held, a pregnancy and infant loss support nonprofit. Formerly Southern Baptist, Sarah now attends and is pursuing ordination at a Cooperative Baptist church in East Tennessee, where she lives with her husband and two sons.