Southern Baptist Convention Moves Closer to Constitutional Ban on Women Pastors
The Southern Baptist Convention voted at its annual meeting to advance a constitutional amendment that would formally ban churches with women serving as pastors. The measure passed a first vote and must clear a second vote at the 2027 annual meeting to take effect. Churches that ordain women as pastors could face removal from the SBC.
The Southern Baptist Convention took another step toward a formal constitutional ban on churches with women pastors at its annual meeting in June 2026, held in Orlando, Florida.
Messengers voted to advance a constitutional amendment that would make explicit what the SBC's 2023 statement of faith already implies: that the office of pastor is limited to men. The amendment passed its first required vote. It must pass a second vote at the 2027 annual meeting to become part of the SBC constitution.
The debate has stretched across four consecutive annual meetings. Proponents say the amendment is needed to enforce the denomination's existing doctrinal commitments. Opponents argue it goes too far and could drive out churches that are otherwise aligned with SBC theology.
SBC President Clint Pressley said the vote reflects the convictions of the majority of Southern Baptist churches. "We are not changing our theology," Pressley said. "We are simply making our constitution consistent with what we already believe."
Several churches that have women serving in pastoral roles have already been removed from the SBC or have left voluntarily in recent years. Saddleback Church, one of the largest congregations in the country, was disfellowshipped in 2023 after it ordained women as pastors.
If the amendment passes in 2027, churches with women pastors would be ineligible for SBC membership. The SBC has roughly 47,000 member churches and is the largest Protestant denomination in the United States.
