The Southern Baptist Convention somewhat surprisingly failed to pass the proposed Law Amendment that, if affirmed, would have changed the SBC Constitution to place restrictions on Southern Baptist churches hiring or appointing women to any staff position with the title…
Loneliness in clergywomen — its causes and impacts and what we can do about it
A 2022 Barna study found 65% of Protestant pastors in the United States feel lonely at least sometimes, with 18% experiencing isolation frequently. These numbers are up significantly from Barna’s 2015 research. In addition, a 2020 survey revealed that 20%…
The SBC’s far-far right believes all members of a Cooperation Group should agree with their views
Some Southern Baptist Convention pastors who are urging final adoption of a constitutional amendment prohibiting females from being called “pastor” are upset because the SBC has appointed a cooperation committee where not all members agree exactly with their views. That…
A primer on why Southern Baptists are fighting over women in ministry once again
Casual observers might have thought the Southern Baptist Convention settled its position on women in ministry 30 years ago. Turns out, that’s not the case at all. An issue that was explosive for the SBC during the heyday of its…
Rick Warren outlines five reasons Saddleback will challenge its expulsion from SBC
Rick Warren and Saddleback Church plan to vigorously object to their expulsion from the Southern Baptist Convention at the SBC annual meeting next month in New Orleans. Warren, who was founding pastor of the Southern California megachurch and recently retired,…
Her church
I haven’t been able to get the book Her Country by Marissa Moss out of my brain since reading the “State of Women in Baptist Life,” released in 2022. The book explores the decline of women on country radio through…
Allow female pastors today and expect gay clergy tomorrow, Mike Law warns
Allowing women to serve in churches with the title “pastor” is a slippery slope that will lead to acceptance of gay, lesbian and transgender pastors next, according to a Virginia pastor calling for an amendment to the Southern Baptist Convention’s…
New book gathers essays by women called to ministry across the generations
A new collection of essays by women in ministry illustrates the passion and determination women have mustered in overcoming the barriers they faced in answering their callings. “We wanted to hear the honest stories of a woman’s call to ministry,…
New Saddleback pastor affirms women as preachers, SBC conservatives want constitutional amendment to exclude churches that affirm women as pastors
The battle over women serving as pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention took on new heat this week when the new pastor at Saddleback Church affirmed his belief that both men and women are qualified to preach and when a…