Charlotte Church Leaders Consider Potential Ban on Women Pastors – WSOC TV

“We proudly support women in ministry at all levels,” said Pastor Chris Richardson of Pritchard Church.

Richardson told White he ordained a woman pastor last month, but says diversity in leadership comes at an interesting time.

“Baptists have been ordaining women to the ministry for a very long time. “It was kind of a recent pivot where they said, ‘No, we’re not going to do this anymore,'” Richardson said.

Pritchard’s church is affiliated with the SBC. At the annual meeting this week, thousands of delegates will vote on whether to remove churches with women pastors.

Twenty-four years ago, the Southern Baptist Convention stated that only men could be pastors, but did not enforce it. If Wednesday’s vote passes and the church has a female pastor, they will no longer be eligible to be affiliated.

“This particular proposal would say that the church must have a biblically qualified pastor,” says Pastor Micheal Pardue of First Baptist Icard.

Pardue says he supports the proposal.

“I think we should stick to what the Word of God has said. And I think the amendment we are considering reflects that,” Pardue White said.

Churches within this denomination help each other with funding. Richardson says if larger churches lose affiliation, smaller churches will feel the impact.

“It is Baptists who are abandoning their identity and that is a profound disappointment to me as a lifelong Baptist,” Richardson said.

“I think this amendment, in my opinion, reflects the biblical truth of God’s word,” Pardue said.

Both pastors said women play a key role in the church.

The final vote is expected on Wednesday. We will update this article when results are available.

(SEE: Former Charlotte mayor honored for 1970s Baptist church design, grant)