Why I Affirm The 2026 SBC Resolution "On the Office and Function of Pastor/Elder/Overseer"

Introduction:

    In my last post I wrote about what Scripture teaches on male headship and the equality of men and women here Growing Christian Resources: What Does Scripture Teach On Male Headship and Equality of Men and Women? 

    In this post I want to narrow down the overall Biblical worldview I presented last time to one singular subject: the affirmation of Biblical teaching about male-only Pastors and Elders at the recent 2026 SBC in Orlando, Florida. I then will summarize why I hold to that position. 

The recent discussion and debate about the offices of pastor /elder and men and women in the SBC

    We travel back to the 2022 SBC convention in Anaheim, California, where discussion ensued over whether women ought to be ordained as staff pastors. A proposal to censure Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church was discussed over his May 2021 ordination of three women on his staff. After much discussion, the issue was tabled until the 2023 convention. Consequently, Saddleback (along with a handful of SBC churches) were expelled by the Convention, however the discussion was far from over.

    We fast forward to this year's Southern Baptist Convention, wherein Al Mohler presented what he called "The Truth and Unity Amendment" here Truth and Unity Amendment - AlbertMohler.com. 

    The goal was to add the amendment to the constitution of the SBC. Its addition would reinforce the convention's position on the matter as spelled out in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. Further, the amendment would give a mechanism for holding churches accountable that ordain or appoint women to the office of pastor / elder or any ordained staff positions. 

    The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 in Article VI on "The Church" states the following on this subject:

"Its two scriptural offices are that of pastor/elder/overseer and deacon. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture."

    With these things in mind, the convention convened last week in Orlando Florida, approving Mohler's proposal. According to convention by-laws, anytime a change to the constitution is proposed, passage requires two successive convention meetings to make it permanent. 

    Consequently, from that discussion came forth a resolution which spells out the details about male-only pastors / elders here On the Office and Function of Pastor/Elder/Overseer - SBC.net  I would encourage readers to read over the resolution. According to the SBC, a resolution "has traditionally been defined as an expression of opinion or concern, as compared to a motion, which calls for action. A resolution is not used to direct an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention to specific action other than to communicate the opinion or concern expressed." This resolution on male-only pastors and elders, coupled with Mohler's "Truth and Unity Amendment" brought forth this year clearly states where Southern Baptists land on this subject. 

    The resolution as I read it is clear, concise, and provides a good summary of what I would affirm myself as an SBC pastor holding to this Biblical position.

Why I advocate male-only pastoral leadership

    Over the years I've tried to read books and journal articles by those who promote men and women equally serving in the roles of pastors and elders. In reading the literature, the basis for both genders serving in pastoral / eldership roles (called “egalitarianism”) arises from pragmatic, rather than theological considerations. 

    When I say “pragmatic”, I mean churches that avow female pastoral leadership for sake of perceived beneficial outcomes for the church and for women. Pragmaticism as an approach to church ministry suffers from the weakness of “the ends justifying the means”, rather than starting out with sound, Biblical principles. 

Those who argue for the Biblical and historic case for male-only pastoral/eldership are called “complementarians”. This position states that men and women are equal in God's sight as His image bearers while having distinct roles assigned to achieve God-ordained functions in the family and church. I’ll list four reasons below why I affirm this view as it relates to male-only Pastors/Elders.

1. Pastors/elders are men because the pattern in creation involved male headship. Genesis 1:26-28.

2. Pastors /elders are men because the pattern of redemption involved Christ becoming the second Adam.  Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:45-47. 

3. Pastor/elders are men because the pattern of the church involves Christ’s Lordship over the church. Ephesians 5:22-33.

4. Pastor/elders are men because the pattern of the new heavens and earth will involve Christ as head of His kingdom. 1 Corinthians 15:20-28; Revelation 21-22.

The above reasons fit along similar lines I argued for in the last post. There are four key doctrines represented by the above four points represent: creation, redemption, church, kingdom. These four key doctrines are expressed by the complementarity and biologically-based binary genders and the specific way Scripture lays out men as the only office holders of the ordained positions of pastor and elder.

    Observe also that male-only pastoral leadership stems from Divinely ordained “patterns” we see in these doctrines, rather than human preferences or pragmatic reasons. When we blur the truth, whether purposefully or unwittingly, the net effect is the same – decline. 

    We note how this pattern of equality of dignity and distinctiveness of position is revealed by God through Jesus Christ. With reference to His position of authority as Lord over His Church, Jesus Christ as God-in-the-flesh exercises authority by His Word and Spirit to nourish, love, preserve, and unify His Church (Ephesians 5:22-33). The Lord revealed that men are to occupy the Pastoral office to remind themselves and the church body of Christ's Lordship (Ephesians 5:22-26; 1 Timothy 2:11-15; 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9).

     Simultaneously, with respect to equality of dignity shared by men and women, the church is a coheir with Jesus Christ in union with His humanity. She as His bride, composed of those adopted and regenerated in saving faith (Romans 8:14-17, 28-29; Galatians 4:4-6; Ephesians 2:8-9) will reign alongside Christ in His Kingdom (Revelation 20:1-3) and for eternity (Revelation 21-22). 

    This second principle of "equality of dignity" reminds each local church of the invaluable way God has gifted women to serve in the church (with the exception of the pastoral and elder offices, along with the office of Deacon, with which I take 1 Timothy 3:8-13 to speaking of "deacon's wives" rather than "deaconesses). In all, the complementarian understanding of male leadership is grounded in the God of the Bible revealed in Christ, for His church. 

Final thought: What I hope will happen at the 2027 SBC Convention

    As I close this post, my affirmation of male-only pastoral / elder leadership is meant to express my desire to see the SBC Convention approve once and for all the measure set forth by Dr. Mohler and expressed in the above linked resolution. As an SBC pastor, it is vital for churches to hold to the pattern clearly set forth by Scripture for the sake of fidelity to the Gospel and the Biblical teaching on the office of the Pastor / Elder in the local church.  

What Does Scripture Teach On Male Headship and Equality of Men and Women?

Introduction:

    Last week (June 7-13, 2026), The Southern Baptist Convention held its annual meeting in Orlando, Florida. In such meetings there are proposals voted upon and resolutions made that express Southern Baptist opinions and concerns on current issues. One such matter, which has been a major discussion for years in SBC life had to do with whether men alone ought to be Senior Pastors, ordained pastoral staff, and Elders. , Bishops, as well as Pastoral staff; or whether such offices ought to include women as well. 

    The resolution put forward by Al Mohler Jr. and passed by a 75% affirmative vote on June 13, 2026. Readers may access the entire resolution here On the Office and Function of Pastor/Elder/Overseer - SBC.net. What I want to is outline why I whole heartily agreed with this amendment. 

    To the point: what does the Scripture teach on male headship and equality of men and women? Is male headship in head-on collision with maintaining equal dignity of men and women? To answer such questions, we need to keep before us four lenses when discussing a Christian worldview of gender roles in marriage and the local church: Biological lens, Theological lens, Ecclesiological lens, and an Eschatological lens. 

Biological lens to define "maleness" and "femaleness".

    Genesis 1:26 states: "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." We could define gender as follows: a God-given property (i.e. characteristic which makes a thing what it is) in the biological design, nature, and purpose of humanity. Gender makes possible relationships, marriage, reproduction, creativity, and illustration of God’s purposes revealed in Jesus. The Biblical understanding of gender is expressed as God’s gift in the BFM 2000: “The gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God’s creation.” 

    Masculinity and femininity points to the creative expression of God Himself (see Genesis 1:26-28). For humans, the terms "assigned gender" and "gender identity" are not two independent categories as secularists contend. Rather, they are mutually dependent. Gender’s basis is biological. Even the secular American Psychological Association (APA) recognizes this point by its definition of gender: “gender refers to the attitudes, feelings and behaviors that a given culture associates with a person's biological sex.” 

    Gender expression refers to how culture views what is appropriate to each gender. The SBC ERLC (Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission) notes: 

"So, on the one hand, our gender is given (Gen. 1). And, on the other hand, the particular expression it takes varies culturally and relationally." 1

    It is this first lens that Christians use to affirm that men and women are equal in God's sight as it pertains to bearing His image as individuals and as a collective species (Genesis 5:1; 9:5-6).2 

Theological lensing reveals the complementary roles of men and women while maintaining their equality of dignity.

    Biology and the image of God showed the equal dignity men and women have before God. To say "theological lensing" means to draw together the relevant Biblical passages and doctrinal development into a coherent systematic expression of doctrines that flesh out details on a given subject (like what we're currently discussing). 

    When we apply the theological lensing of Scripture, we begin to not only see this continued equality of men and women on the one hand, but also their distinct roles on the other hand. The doctrine of creation revealed that Adam was to transmit God's revelation of Himself and commands on how to live in the Garden to His wife (Genesis 2:16-17). This headship of Adam was a covenant headship, meaning he bore the responsibility to love, cherish, and lead his wife in godliness while clinging to her in preference over his parents (Genesis 2:24-25; 1 Timothy 2:14-15). 

    The spiritual headship of the man over his wife was not to be a tyrannical headship, but a protective, cherishing, and nurturing one where he and her would exercise dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26-28; Matthew 19:4-6). 

    From the doctrine of creation we come next to the doctrine of redemption. God's relationship with His people, whether Old Testament Israel or the New Testament church, was to be illustrated by the husband and wife relationship. God the Father redeemed the Israelite people to be as a wife unto Him (Ezekiel 16; Hosea 2). He redeemed them (Exodus 12-15), provided for them (Deuteronomy 8), loved them (Deuteronomy 7:7-8), and pledged His covenant love to them (Genesis 12:1-7; 2 Samuel 7:13-16; Jeremiah 31:31-34). 

    In the New Testament, we find that the Father had a bride in mind, the church, as a love gift to the Son from all eternity (John 17:6; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2; Revelation 9:7-10). The headship of Christ over His church is asserted in the metaphor of marriage (Ephesians 5:22-33). Christ as the head of the church is in His humanity a co-heir with His church (Romans 8:14-17; Revelation 20:6; Revelation 21:2, 22-27; 22:17). Thus, we see the headship of the husband and the equality of husbands and wives expressed by this theological lensing.

Ecclesiological lensing of men and women in the local church.

    Ecclesiology is that area of Bible doctrine that studies the nature, offices, and life of the local church and the church the world-over. Without those first two lenses (biological and theological lensing), the whole matter of male headship in the pastoral office would appear as it does to uninformed people: arbitrary, bigoted, and random.3 The equal dignity of each gender and the complementary roles each have is necessary to maintain the overall Biblical understanding of leadership and life in the local church. 

    When Christ came to redeem men and women, He recovered the equality of dignity and complementarity of the genders as Divinely envisioned. His incarnation as a man affirmed the Divine desire to redeem men who with Adam were responsible for the entry of sin into the world and on the human species (Romans 5:12-21). 

    Christ as the Second Adam in earthly ministry elevated  women to their original equality of dignity with men, treating them with respect, honor, love, and giving to them areas of service (Luke 10:38-42; Mark 10:9). Outside of the pastoral and elder offices in the local church, women can serve as missionaries and in any non-ordained office in the church. Although women are not allowed to exercise authority of Biblical teaching over men (1 Timothy 2:15), they nonetheless can exercise their gifts and teach God's Word to women who need uplifted and discipled (Titus 2:3-4).

    The foregoing Scriptural teaching stands behind why in the local church, the leadership of Pastors, Elders, and ordained staff is to be men (1 Timothy 2:12; 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). This is not bigotry, but rather God's original plan to convey the Lordship of Christ over His church and God's authority over creation.4  This same pattern holds what is true of Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:22-33).  

    The dignity of women in the church and congregation is also asserted by the Bible's teaching on women in the local church. In the resolution I mentioned earlier "On the Office and Function of Pastor/Elder/Overseer", one of its "whereas" statements summarizes well this point with prooftexts:

"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)."

Eschatological lensing points to where redeemed men and women will spend eternity with the Lord Jesus Christ.

    Eschatology is the Biblical, doctrinal study of "last things", which includes life after death, Heaven and Hell, Christ's return to earth, His Kingdom, final judgment, and the New Heavens and New Earth. Popularly called "Bible Prophecy", eschatology reminds us that the Gospel not only deals with the past and sin, but it also holds the promise of what God will accomplish in bringing about His redemption of the cosmos and the completion of the salvation of all who have trusted in Christ by faith (1 Corinthians 15:23-28; 1 Thessalonians 5; 2 Peter 3; Revelation 4-20). 

    Passages such as Revelation 19:7-10 reveal Christ's return to earth with Christians as His "Bride", for whom He had already rewarded for their faithfulness to Him in this life (see also Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10). The "Bride of Christ" theme is as much a redemptive truth pictured by marriage (Ephesians 5:22-33) as it is an eschatological reality in the ages to come (Revelation 21:1-2).5 

Closing thoughts:

    In today's post I aimed to give four lenses through which we can grasp the Biblical teaching on male headship and equality of men and women. These two ideas are not contradictory but complementary truths. Biologically, God had from creation made men and women equal in dignity. Theologically, we saw through the doctrines of creation, redemption, and Christ's incarnation that the genders are equal image bearers and distinctly assigned roles that fulfill God's original design for creation and salvation. The ecclesiological lens or "church-wise" view of things reminded us that male-only pastoral leadership and that of Elders model the foundational truths of our biological and theological understandings of humanity from the Bible. Then eschatologically, we're reminded of how such teaching telegraphs God's ultimate plan to bring about the New Heavens and New Earth for His redeemed people. This, I hope, has clearly conveyed the Biblical teaching on male headship and equality of men and women. 

Endnotes:

1. God's image refers to the spiritual, rational, and relational properties that uniquely makes a human being human, created and endowed by their Maker, who imprinted such uniqueness into the biology and psychology of each human being.

2. To blur the distinctions between biological gender and the expressions of it leads to the confusing psychological condition known as “gender dysphoria”. Since gender is a biological property, a person cannot choose their gender, since it is inherent to who they are as a person. Put another way, it is invalid to say that gender is somehow obtained by psychologically identifying with a different gender, since it blurs “what kind of human being one is” versus “what they would feel better in being”.  

2. I have noticed over the decades that those who argue for an "egalitarian" model of church leadership, which asserts that the pastoral office is serviceable by women as well as men, typically do not devote attention to those first two lenses.

4. Binary patterns such as these safeguard God's people against the tendency of secular and paganized systems to erase such patterns. This pattern of male spiritual leadership in the church returns us to the creational pattern of male spiritual leadership originally in the Garden and in marriage.

5. The male headship of Christian marriage and male pastoral leadership in the local church telegraph this potent eschatological / prophetic reality. When Christ came, He introduced the forthcoming Kingdom of God in preview form (Mark 1:15). Each local church is to function as an embassy of Christ's coming kingdom, composed of born-again ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). The equal dignity of men and women who are co-sharers of the vision of God through Christ in the New Heavens and New Earth is also to be conveyed in marriage and the local church.