Albert Mohler calls for SBC to clarify role of pastor

A prominent theologian in The Southern Baptist Convention called Thursday for the denomination to make it clear that only men may serve as pastors. R. Albert Mohler Jr., the president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Boyce College, urged the SBC to clarify this issue at its annual meeting this summer. The most effective way would be to pass an amendment to the denomination’s bylaws, said Mohler, who is also the editor of WORLD Opinions. Additionally, the SBC would need to clearly outline the office of a pastor in a statement. He said the confusion over the role had gotten to the point where it had become dangerous for the denomination.

Hasn’t the SBC voted on an amendment about this before? Last year, the SBC failed to pass an amendment to strengthen the denomination’s stance that the Bible teaches only men may serve as pastors and elders. While the amendment received 61% of votes in support, it fell short of the two-thirds supermajority required for passage.

When will this SBC’s annual meeting be held? The annual meeting, along with the convention’s yearly pastors’ conference, will be held in Orlando, Fla., this June. Josh Powell, the senior pastor of Taylors First Baptist Church in Taylors, S.C., will be nominated to serve as the SBC’s next president. Willy Rice, the senior pastor of Calvary Church in Clearwater, Fla., announced his intention to seek the role, too. The meeting and conference will offer almost 200 events, meetings, and gatherings, including a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Nearly 47,000 SBC churches operate nationwide with close to 13 million members, according to 2025 data from the SBC.

Powell wrote on social media that he agreed with Mohler that the issue needed to be dealt with and that SBC convention messengers could decide the issue.

Dig deeper: Read Elizabeth Black’s report on the election of a new president for the SBC ethics committee.