Southern Baptists don’t get votes to add ‘only men’ pastors language to constitution
Left to right, Meredith Stone, president of Baptist Women in Ministry; Heather Deal, MWIM director of development; and Nikki Hardeman, BWIM director of advocating for women in ministry, stand outside the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis on June 12 as Southern Baptists head into their annual meeting. (RNS photo/Adelle M. Banks)
Southern Baptists failed to adopt a change in their constitution that would explicitly state that “only men” can be “any kind of pastor” in affiliated churches.
The Wednesday vote, 61.45 percent in favor and 38.38 percent against, did not receive the two-thirds tally required during the second day of the two-day annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention. A total of 8,284 messengers, or delegates, voted.
Messengers voted overwhelmingly for the amendment at their meeting last year after it was proposed by a Virginia pastor who said the measure would bring clarity that a Southern Baptist church “holds the Bible’s teachings and our convention’s beliefs.”
