From its towering white steeple and red-brick facade to its Sunday services filled with rousing gospel hymns and evangelistic sermons, First Baptist Church of Alexandria, Virginia, bears many of the classic hallmarks of a Southern Baptist church.

On a recent Sunday, its pastor for women and children, Kim Eskridge, urged members to invite friends and neighbors to an upcoming vacation Bible school — a perennial Baptist activity — to help “reach families in the community with the gospel.”

But because that pastor is a woman, First Baptist’s days in the Southern Baptist Convention may be numbered.

At the SBC’s annual meeting June 11-12 in Indianapolis, representatives will vote on whether to amend the denomination’s constitution to essentially ban churches with any women pastors — and not just in the top job. That measure received overwhelming approval in a preliminary vote last year.

  • Ashyr@sh.itjust.works
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    7 months ago

    Funner fact, they won’t let women be lead pastors for men, but they will allow women to be missionaries to other men around the world.

    Basically a woman can’t be a pastor to white Christian men, but those other men out there? That’s fine.

    Racism is thoroughly baked into their theology and worldview.

    • BuelldozerA
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      7 months ago

      Funner fact, they won’t let women be lead pastors for men

      As a point of fact some Southern Baptists Churches do allow, and have, Women as Lead Pastors.

      • wanderer@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        Did you forget what the article is about? Those churches are likely getting kicked out.

        • BuelldozerA
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          7 months ago

          They may be removed from the Southern Baptist Convention but they will still be a Southern Baptist Church.

          Organized religions are weird like this.