Members of the Southern Baptist Convention have decisively supported moving forward with a constitutional amendment that would formally prohibit churches led by female pastors from remaining in the nation’s largest Protestant denomination.
The decision came during the SBC’s annual gathering in Orlando this week, where the proposal received far more than the required two-thirds majority needed to advance constitutional changes. The amendment reinforces the position that only men should serve as pastors leading congregations.
To become official policy, the proposed ban must receive similar approval when Southern Baptists meet again next year. If passed, the amendment would strengthen current restrictions already in place within the SBC, which maintains a faith statement that opposes women serving as pastors.
In other religious news, an Italian court has made a groundbreaking ruling that recognizes a family structure involving one mother and two fathers caring for a four-year-old child. The case involves two married men from Germany and a woman who acted as their surrogate. While such arrangements are permitted under German law, this Italian decision marks the first time the country has legally acknowledged this type of family configuration, potentially setting a precedent that could influence policy across Europe. Many European Union nations have yet to legalize same-sex marriage, making polyamorous recognition even more complex.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon’s recent updates to its religious classification system have sparked renewed discussion about whether The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints qualifies as a Christian denomination. Members of the Mormon faith consider themselves Christian, though some of their fundamental beliefs, especially regarding the Trinity, differ from traditional Christian doctrine. Utah Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis, both Republicans and members of the Mormon faith, are questioning the Pentagon’s decision to exclude their religion from its Christian categories. Military officials say they have removed nearly 200 faith systems from their recognized religions list but emphasize the new criteria are not intended to challenge the validity of any religious belief system.
