It’s a issue that won’t go away for southern Baptists and it’s back again already with three months to go before the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) annual conference.
A controversial amendment to the Constitution of the SBC — which failed to get a two-thirds vote on second reading last June — would enshrine a prohibition on churches allowing women to preach or giving women jobs with the title “pastor.”
The amendment garnered support of 61.45% of messengers to last summer’s annual meeting — a majority but not the required two-thirds majority.
Now, a Texas pastor, Juan Sanchez, has announced that he intends to present a motion to change the standing rules of the convention so the amendment may be brought back and voted on again immediately – and a Cumming pastor is among those announcing their support of his movement.
Jed Coppenger (pictured), lead pastor of First Baptist Church in Cumming, is one of seven pastors, in addition to Sanchez, who have signed the letter.
You can read the full story here: Law Amendment will be resurrected at this year’s SBC meeting – Baptist News Global
The First Baptist Church of Gainesville left the SBC and other Baptist organizations two years ago over the issue of women pastors.
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.