Southern Baptist Convention to vote on proposal to ban churches with women pastors

First Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia looks like a typical Southern Baptist church with its tall white steeple and red-brick building. The church has a female pastor, which might lead to it being removed from the Southern Baptist Convention. At the SBC's annual meeting in June, representatives will vote on a proposal to ban churches with women pastors. First Baptist, which has been part of the convention for a long time, is worried about being expelled. Some people in the SBC believe that only men should be pastors, according to their beliefs. They want to reinforce this idea by amending the denomination's constitution. They say that if they don't stick to this rule, they might not be following other important beliefs. The SBC can decide which churches can stay and which ones must leave. Even without changing the rules officially, some churches with female pastors have already been asked to leave. There are different opinions among churches about women serving as pastors. Some churches believe women can be in any role, including the senior pastor position. Others think women can serve in other pastoral roles as long as the main pastor is a man. Some churches have left the SBC on their own because of this issue. Baptist Women in Ministry, which started in the SBC but now works with other Baptist groups, is paying attention to these developments.