Thousands of Southern Baptist delegates voted Wednesday to advance a formal ban on women pastors by a 75 percent margin, sending a clear message that only men should hold that role in the church.
Delegates known as messengers voted in favor of the SBC’s Truth and Unity Amendment at the SBC’s annual meeting.
Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, who introduced the measure, expressed pleasure at the result.
“I’d love to have 100 percent,” Mohler told ChurchLeaders. “But I think just given the realities of the fact this is a giant democratic meeting, and so just given the number of people in the room, I think that’s a remarkably high figure. I’m very thankful.”
Prior to the meeting, however, those opposed tried to build support for female pastors. A billboard put up near the convention location in Orlando by the group Baptist Women in Ministry reads, “God calls women to pastor, preach and minister.”
Bible teacher and author Beth Moore, who left the SBC in 2021, accuses the group’s leaders of not protecting women. She recently posted on X, “Which has been the greater problem: women trying to become your senior pastors or pastors misusing or abusing women?”
Those in the SBC who think I no longer should have anything to say about the SBC profoundly underestimate the power of love. I’d served southern Baptist women for 40 years by the time I left. And when I left, I left directly on their behalf because it became disturbingly clear to…
— Beth Moore (@BethMooreLPM) June 1, 2026
Jeff Dalrymple, Director of Abuse Prevention and Response with the SBC’s Executive Committee, responded to Moore’s claim.
“First of all, I’d say Beth Moore had just an incredible impact in evangelicalism and in the Southern Baptist Convention as she’s led so many to better know their Bibles and to follow Jesus faithfully,” Dalrymple said in an interview with CBN News. “I think Southern Baptists have spoken very clearly on their position related to female pastors.”
He added, “Creating a safe place for children, for vulnerable adults and women, for all persons to grow in Christ is critical, and so this is a major priority for us.”
Dalrymple explained that this priority includes the Fortify Initiative, a new resource to provide churches with abuse and prevention resources.
“The goal is to safeguard the vulnerable children where they can come and learn about Jesus and hear the gospel, grow in Christ, free from any sort of abuse or any sort of security threat that might be,” he said.
In 2021, creating a ministry database became part of the denomination’s reform plan after an investigation revealed ministry leaders mistreated and stonewalled abuse victims for decades. Difficulty in implementing that proposal and church autonomy, however, led to it being put on hold.
CBN News asked the director about the status of that now five-year delay.
“As far as a database goes, we’re strongly urging all of our churches in the Southern Baptist Convention, all child and youth serving organizations, to access existing databases of convicted offenders. And that’s simply the background check system that already exists across the country. We’re not prepared at this time to develop anything beyond that,” said Dalrymple.
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Daniel Darling of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary feels the denomination can protect women and children from abuse, while also upholding its stance that only men are called to pastor.
“We can really make sure we are doctrinally faithful to what we say we believe,” Darling told CBN News. “And I believe we are. And we can help churches be equipped and understand how to handle the issue of sexual abuse, to be safe for children, to have resources. And the SBC has made incredible strides on this issue.”
Meanwhile, a final vote to ban Southern Baptist Churches with women pastors is expected at next year’s annual meeting.
