Southern Baptists refuse to take back megachurch because it has women pastors

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The Southern Baptist Convention has rejected an appeal by Saddleback Church, a California megachurch, to be reinstated after being ousted in February for having women pastors. The convention, which claims that only qualified men can serve as pastors according to its statement of faith, also rejected a similar appeal by Fern Creek Baptist Church in Kentucky, which is led by a woman pastor.

During the annual meeting of the convention, delegates voted against welcoming back Saddleback Church, once the second-largest congregation in the denomination. The decision was met with a quiet response from the packed convention hall. Rick Warren, the retired founding pastor of Saddleback and author of “The Purpose Driven Life,” expressed disappointment at the outcome and emphasized the importance of unity despite differences.

The convention also denied an appeal by Fern Creek Baptist Church, which has had a woman pastor for three decades. The pastor, Rev. Linda Barnes Popham, expressed surprise at the extent of the result and hoped for more support within the Southern Baptist Convention for the autonomy of local churches and women in ministry.

While the convention cannot dictate the actions of independent Baptist churches, it has the authority to decide which churches are considered “not in friendly cooperation,” leading to their expulsion. This is believed to be the first time the convention has expelled churches over the issue of women pastors.

The Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention voted in February to oust Saddleback and four other congregations, including Fern Creek, for having women pastors. The final appeals by Warren and Barnes Popham during the annual meeting were unsuccessful.

Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, spoke on behalf of the Executive Committee, stating that the decision to expel the churches was a matter of biblical authority. The issue of women’s ministry roles has long caused division within the Southern Baptist Convention. In an effort to clarify these roles, the convention voted to amend its constitution, specifying that only men can serve as pastors or elders according to Scripture. The amendment requires approval at the next annual meeting to take effect.

Following the announcement, Warren criticized the direction of the Southern Baptist Convention, suggesting that some members seek to return to a time when white men held dominant positions and women were confined to the home. He advocated for a return to the principles of the early church.

The future of Fern Creek Baptist Church remains uncertain, as it faces a possible expulsion from the Kentucky Baptist Convention, the state affiliate of the Southern Baptist Convention.

In addition to the discussions on women pastors, the convention addressed issues of sexual abuse. Freedom Baptist Church in Florida was expelled over its alleged mishandling of a sexual misconduct allegation, and a task force responsible for implementing abuse reforms was given more time to work on addressing the issue.

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