Southern Baptists Vote to Ban Women as Pastors and Oust Churches Employing Them

The Southern Baptist Convention voted overwhelmingly to ban women from serving in pastoral roles and expelled five churches, including Saddleback Church and Fern Creek Baptist Church, for having female pastors.
The convention approved a constitutional amendment requiring only men as qualified pastors at member churches.
Rick Warren, founder of Saddleback Church, appealed for members to "agree to disagree" but was rejected.
The convention has seen a drop in membership and was recently criticized for mishandling sexual abuse allegations.
The decision reflects the denomination's conservative shift and risks further decline, but leaders cited biblical grounds for limiting pastoral roles to men.