The 11,000-plus church delegates of the SBC recently (June, 2026) reaffirmed what the Bible clearly teaches about the role and office of a church pastor, namely that it is to be occupied only by qualified men. Women are not pastors, elders or overseers in the Church.

The qualifications for being a church elder and pastor are given by God in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1; there are over 20 listed. One of them is that the pastor is to be “the husband of one wife” (1 Tim 3: 2; Titus 1:6). The Greek word used by Paul here for “husband” is from anér and is used over 200 times in the New Testament and always refers to a grown male as opposed to a female.

The roles of men and women as ordained by God are not secondary matters; they are primary. The Bible begins with God emphasizing that humans exist in two unchangeable genders, male and female (Gen 1:27), and they each have their divinely ordained, permanent functions which differ. The man is to be the leader and the woman is designed to be the “helper.” God created the woman to be the “suitable helper” to the man (Gen 2:18, 20), meaning she was to be the perfect complement to the man. Man as “leader” and “head” of the relationship and woman as “helper” was intended by God to be a permanent, universal, and inviolable relationship. In fact, man and woman in their distinctions together reflect the full image of God (Gen 1:27). To tamper with the original God-given genders and the distinguishing functions that attended them is to attack the very image of God or the very nature of God–a foolish and perilous prospect.

Man as leader and woman as helper was reaffirmed by the Mosaic Law, the distinct identities and fixed roles of men and women being formalized and codified through inscripturation (Num 3:10; Lev 12:3; Deut 22:5). Man as leader and woman as helper is carried over into the New Testament Church as God’s standard and ideal. In 1 Corinthians God said, “the head of the woman is the man” (11:3). And in 1 Timothy God decreed that He does “not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet” in the Church (2:12).

Preserving the two genders of male and female and their respective roles in the Church has been basic biblical Christianity for 2,000 years. It has only been recently that this long-standing, biblical tradition has been seriously challenged. But with the proliferation of woke ideology spreading like wildfire, this fundamental foundation of the church, the home, and society is being viciously attacked, in the world, and in various liberal corners of the Church.

The SBA has courageously put a stake in the ground to clarify afresh and anew what the Bible has always clearly taught on the matter. They did this in two ways at the recent annual convention. First, the 11,000-plus church delegates voted 74% in favor of a constitutional amendment that reaffirms and bolsters the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message which states the role of pastor “is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.” The proposed amendment, written and submitted by Al Mohler of Southern Seminary, would be added to the SBA Constitution under Article III, clarifying that an SBC church in good standing “does not act to affirm, appoint, or endorse a woman serving in the office or function of a pastor/elder/overseer, specifically preaching to the assembled congregation.” In other words, biblical churches should not refer to women serving in the church with the titles of “pastor” or “elder,” for God reserves those labels for qualified male leaders in the church. In order to be added to the SBA Constitution, the delegates will need to vote on the amendment again in June, 2027, and it will pass and be added to the Constitution only with a two-thirds majority vote.

A second way the SBA delegates reaffirmed a biblical view of pastoral ministry was by passing a Resolution. Following is that Resolution which carefully delineates from Scripture God’s design for His Church with respect to distinct roles of men and women regarding spiritual leadership. As you read the Resolution with the attendant Scriptures, be in prayer for your own local church that it would stay faithful to God’s divine blueprint:

On the Office and Function of Pastor/Elder/Overseer

WHEREAS, Scripture assigns the work of shepherding, overseeing, and teaching and preaching to the gathered church to qualified men appointed by the church to the office of pastor/elder/overseer (John 21:15-17; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-3); and

WHEREAS, The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 states that the church’s “two scriptural offices are that of pastor/elder/overseer and deacon” and that “the office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture” (Article VI); and

WHEREAS, The Southern Baptist Convention recently reaffirmed its confessional heritage that the New Testament terms “bishop,” “elder,” “overseer,” and “pastor” refer to the same biblical office (“On the Southern Baptist Confessional Heritage of the Office of Bishop/Elder/Pastor,” 2023); and

WHEREAS, Scripture teaches that women are equally created in the image of God, gifted by the Holy Spirit for meaningful service, and valuable in the work of the church (Genesis 1:27; Acts 2:17-18; 1 Corinthians 11:5, 12; Titus 2:3-5); and

WHEREAS, The Southern Baptist Convention has repeatedly affirmed both the equal dignity and value of women in service to the church of Jesus Christ (“On the Legacy and Responsibility of Women Fulfilling the Great Commission,” 2023; “On the Dignity and Worth of Women on the Occasion of the One Hundredth Anniversary of Women as Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention,” 2018); and

WHEREAS, Confusion has arisen in some Southern Baptist churches regarding the relationship between the title, office, and function of pastor, including the use of title “pastor,” “elder,” or “overseer” for roles that either do not carry the responsibilities of the pastoral office or are assigned in ways inconsistent with the Convention’s articulated understanding of Scripture on this matter; and

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have recognized that biblical terminology should be used carefully and consistently in order to promote doctrinal clarity, faithful cooperation, and unity among churches; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida, June 9-10, 2026, reaffirm that the office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we affirm that the New Testament presents the pastoral office and the function of pastoral oversight of the church as inseparably connected; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we affirm the function of teaching Scripture and preaching the Word to the gathered church is essentially connected to the office of pastor/elder/overseer and should not be separated from the qualifications for pastoral ministry; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage Southern Baptist churches to maintain clarity and integrity in their ministerial titles and practices so that nomenclature is not used in ways that obscure or contradict the Convention’s adopted statement of faith regarding the pastoral office; specifically, we encourage churches to use the titles “pastor,” “elder,” and “overseer” in a manner consistent with the biblical office described in Scripture and affirmed in The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 and not to use these titles in ways that separate the title from the office and function of pastor; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we express gratitude for the indispensable service, discipleship, evangelism, missions work, and ministry contributions of women throughout Southern Baptist life and encourage churches to continue affirming and deploying women in biblically faithful ways; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we call pastors to teach and uphold the biblical pattern of church leadership, which includes exemplifying the qualifications of godly character and conduct prescribed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9; and be it finally

RESOLVED, That we commend this understanding to the churches of the Convention and to the entities and committees serving the Convention as reflective of the Southern Baptist Convention’s confessional understanding of the office and function of pastor.