Last week, thousands of Southern Baptists from across the United States gathered for what was one of the largest deliberative religious assemblies in the nation. This year’s Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Orlando brought together more than 11,000 voting messengers and nearly 20,000 total attendees for four days of worship, fellowship, prayer, preaching, and denominational business.
This year once again demonstrated that the conversation surrounding women in ministry is far from settled among Southern Baptists. The debate centers on questions of cooperation and denominational identity. For many, it represents a broader concern regarding the authority and sufficiency of Scripture. It has become increasingly clear that this is not merely an abstract theological discussion confined to seminary classroom, but is a pastoral issue affecting local SBC churches, denominational partnerships, and the future direction of our Convention.
In many ways, this discussion is not new. Southern Baptists wrestled with similar questions during the Conservative Resurgence of the 1980s and 1990s. The adoption of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 sought to bring clarity, affirming that, “While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.” Yet recent years have revealed growing disagreement regarding how that statement should be understood and applied in practice. Churches within the SBC have increasingly adopted varying approaches, ranging from affirming women serving in pastoral roles to utilizing the title “pastor” for ministry positions traditionally understood to fall outside the office of elder/pastor/overseer.
The discussions at this year’s convention highlighted that the fundamental question before Southern Baptists is not whether women are gifted for ministry. The overwhelming majority of Southern Baptists affirm that they are. The question is whether Scripture teaches distinct responsibilities for men and women within the life of the church, and whether our churches should consistently apply the confessional commitments we have voluntarily adopted together.
Dr. Al Mohler, the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a key voice in our Convention, proposed an amendment to the SBC constitution that states that, “Churches in friendly cooperation do not act to affirm, appoint, or endorse a woman serving in the office or function of a pastor/elder/overseer, specifically preaching to the assembled congregation.”
The amendment was approved by a 75% majority. According to our bylaws, it will require a second vote at next year’s meeting to be ratified. The majority of Southern Baptists have spoken, at least this year, and their voice was heard loud and clear.
The question is not whether women have a ministry. The question is whether God has assigned distinct responsibilities to men and women within His household.
The heart of the “complementarian” position, which believes there are differing biblical roles for men and women in the church, is rooted not primarily in a handful of isolated New Testament proof texts, but in God’s design established at creation. Genesis 1–3 serves as the blueprint for understanding biblical manhood and womanhood. Men and women are equally created in the image of God and therefore possess equal dignity, worth, and value. Scripture emphatically rejects any notion that women are somehow lesser image-bearers. At the same time, equality of value does not necessarily entail sameness of role.
Genesis reveals that Adam was created first, Eve was created as a helper corresponding to him, and Adam bore a unique responsibility before God as the representative head of humanity. These distinctions existed before sin entered the world. Complementarians therefore understand role distinctions not as products of the Fall, but as aspects of God’s good creation.
Importantly, complementarianism should never be confused with misogyny or a diminished view of women. Jesus consistently honored women throughout His earthly ministry. Women followed Him, supported His ministry, received His teaching, and became the first witnesses of His resurrection. The New Testament portrays women as indispensable participants in the mission of God. Churches committed to biblical complementarianism should therefore be among the strongest advocates for women flourishing in meaningful, robust ministry.
The question, then, becomes one of boundaries. What kinds of ministry does Scripture encourage women to pursue, and what responsibilities has God reserved for qualified men?
Passages such as 1 Corinthians 11, 1 Corinthians 14, and 1 Timothy 2–3, have persuaded me, and others who hold this view, that Paul grounds his instructions not in temporary cultural concerns but in the created order itself. For example, in 1 Timothy 2, Paul appeals directly to Genesis: “For Adam was formed first, then Eve.” Likewise, in 1 Corinthians 11, Paul roots his argument in creation and seeks to preserve visible distinctions between men and women within corporate worship.
At the same time, these passages do not portray women as passive spectators within the life of the church. Women prayed, discipled, served, taught other women and children, supported gospel ministry financially, and labored alongside church leaders for the advance of the kingdom. The issue is not whether women minister. The issue is whether the office of pastor/elder/overseer carries an authority that Scripture reserves for qualified men.
Reasonable Christians who affirm the authority of Scripture may disagree over the interpretation of some of these passages. That reality should produce humility. Yet humility should not result in theological ambiguity. Churches must ultimately determine what they believe Scripture teaches and order their lives accordingly.
As Southern Baptists move forward, it will be tempting to frame this discussion as a choice between doctrinal fidelity and missional cooperation. I believe that is a false dichotomy. Historically, Southern Baptists have sought to be both confessional and cooperative. Doctrine safeguards mission. Mission gives purpose to our cooperation. We need both.
At the end of the day, this conversation is not primarily about denominational politics. It is about whether we believe God’s design is wise, good, and worthy of our trust. It is about whether Scripture functions as our final authority, even when its teachings challenge the assumptions of our age.
My prayer is that pastors would lead with both conviction and compassion, that church members would think carefully and biblically about these issues, and that both men and women would joyfully embrace the good purposes of God revealed in His Word. The church does not flourish by mirroring the culture around her. She flourishes by submitting herself to the wisdom of the One who created her, redeemed her, and promises one day to make all things new.
