Southern Baptists Vote to Ban Women Pastors in Landmark Constitutional Move
The Southern Baptist Convention voted 75 percent in favor of the Truth and Unity Amendment at its June 2026 annual meeting in Orlando, advancing a constitutional ban on churches that employ women as pastors. The measure must pass again at the 2027 meeting in Indianapolis to take effect. Critics say the amendment goes beyond the pastoral office and could restrict women from other leadership roles.
The Southern Baptist Convention took a decisive step toward banning women from pastoral roles at its annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, on June 10, 2026.
Delegates, called messengers, voted 6,028 to 2,026 in favor of the Truth and Unity Amendment. That 75 percent margin cleared the two-thirds threshold needed to advance the measure.
The amendment would require the SBC to exclude any church that "affirms, appoints, or endorses a woman serving in the office or function of a pastor/elder/overseer, specifically preaching to the assembled congregation."
Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, led the push for the amendment. He argued that the SBC's existing statement of faith already restricts the pastoral office to men, but that constitutional clarity is needed to address inconsistent enforcement across the denomination's self-governing churches.
This vote follows three years of failed attempts to pass similar measures. Previous efforts either failed to reach the floor or fell short of the required supermajority.
Baptist Women in Ministry, the main advocacy group opposing the amendment, called the vote harmful and exclusionary. Critics also warned that the language could be interpreted broadly enough to restrict women from roles beyond the senior pastor position.
The SBC does not directly govern its member churches but can expel congregations it deems out of "friendly cooperation." The denomination has already disfellowshipped several churches, including Saddleback Church in California, for having women in pastoral roles.
For the amendment to become part of the SBC constitution, it must be reintroduced and pass with a two-thirds majority at the 2027 annual meeting in Indianapolis.
