Southern Baptists narrowly rejected a proposal Wednesday to enshrine a ban on churches with women pastors in the denomination’s constitution, an issue that led a Gainesville church to pull out of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) last year. (See earlier story below.)
The proposal Wednesday was opposed by those at the SBC’s annual meeting who argued it was unnecessary because the denomination already has a way of ousting such churches.
Click here for the full story: Southern Baptists narrowly reject formal ban on churches with any women pastors – SRN News
(EARLIER STORY. POSTED JUNE 15, 2023:
The First Baptist Church of Gainesville (FBC) is pulling out of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the Chattahoochee Baptist Association, and the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, “pending FBC approval at an upcoming church conference,” according to an open letter to church membership from Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Jeremy Shoulta.
At issue is the SBC’s affirmation at its annual conference this week of its opposition to women clergy by amending its constitution to remove any church from its membership which “appoints or employs a woman as a pastor of any kind.”
In his letter, which you can read here https://www.fbcgainesville.org/2412-2/… Rev. Shoulta points out that First Baptist has “celebrated the presence of women pastors on our staff for some time, and we will not compromise this practice…”
The church’s staff directory lists three women ministers: Rev. Kellie Denton, Associate Pastor for Faith and Formation; Rev. Ruth Demby, Associate Pastor for Missions; and Susan Eernisse, Associate Minister of Music.