Southern Baptists vote to expel two churches led by women pastors

The Southern Baptist Convention voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to finalize the expulsion of two churches from the nation’s largest Protestant denomination for having female pastors.

And the vote wasn’t even close, according to the SBC‘s tally.

Spurred on by arch-conservatives in the SBC, the 12,000 or so “messengers” gathered at their annual meeting in New Orleans voted by a 9-to-1 margin to seal the exit of California’s Saddleback Church and a smaller congregation in Kentucky.

That vote, which was conducted on Tuesday, set the stage for another vote Wednesday on a proposal to amend the SBC’s constitution to tighten the ban on women from leadership roles.

“I know sometimes there are churches where people wind up in biblical divorce,” SBC President Bart Barber said before the vote was announced. “But we don’t throw divorce parties at church. And whatever these results are, I’m asking you, behave like Christians.”

Saddleback Church, a mega-church based in Southern California with a flock of around 23,000, was founded by Rick Warren, author of the bestselling phenomenon “The Purpose Driven Life.”

The church drew the ire of the SBC after it ordained three women pastors in 2021.

Dismissing a personal appeal by Warren, attendees at the convention voted 9,437 to 1,212 to uphold the expulsion of the Saddleback Church, which happened in February.

The Southern Baptists also voted 9,700 to 806 to deny an appeal by the Fern Creek Baptist Church of Louisville, Kentucky, which has been led by Pastor Linda Barnes Popham for three decades.

While all Baptist churches are independent, the SBC’s official statement of faith says that the office of pastor is reserved for men. That said, The Associated Press reported that this is believed to be the first time the SBC has expelled any churches over having female pastors.