This week, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) took another step toward silencing and sidelining the women of the church. The messengers at the annual meeting passed a proposed amendment to the denomination’s constitution that states cooperating churches must “not affirm, appoint, or endorse a woman serving in the office or function of a pastor, elder, or overseer, specifically in preaching to the assembled congregation.” The amendment will reappear in next year’s convention for ratification.

The basic arguments in favor of silencing women cite verses from Paul’s letters regarding women being quiet in church (I Corinthians 14:34-35 and I Timothy 2:11-12). They also incorporate the more general concepts of a literal order of creation (Genesis 2-3) and Paul’s establishment of church offices, such as overseer and deacon (I Timothy 3:1-7). Using these verses, proponents say women cannot preach, pastor, or lead because “the Bible says so.”

However, the Bible (including Paul) also says many other things about women. Therefore, those who argue in favor of women fully participating in church leadership cite opposing passages. For example, Paul mentions numerous women in his letters who led and acted as deacons in the early church, such as Phoebe, Mary, Tryphonena, Tryphosa, Persis, Priscilla, and Junia (Romans 16); Euodia and Syntyche (Philippians 4:2-3); and Nympha (Colossians 4:15).

Clearly, much like the arguments themselves, there is a difference between our interpretations of Paul’s letters and the reality of women’s service to the early church. In the same way, Baptist women today will still need to go about the business of leading, pastoring, and preaching for the sake of the gospel, despite the SBC’s denominational proclamation.

What does this tell us?

God’s work will move forward in the world with or without the mandates of men. This fact becomes obvious when we consider the more critical stumbling block to the arguments in favor of silencing women: they ignore Jesus.

Simply put, you cannot claim to want to do “what the Bible says” in Paul’s letters and ignore what Jesus says.

Why?

Because Jesus is the Word of God: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

Jesus, the Word of God, has the final say.

Paul agrees. In I Corinthians 1:11-17, he writes in response to reports from the peace-seekers in Chloe’s household (another woman leader):

“My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”

Women of the church, here is the good news. No denominational mandate can empty the cross of Christ of its power. God does not leave you alone with just a stack of letters from Paul and a few verses taken out of context. Jesus, the Word made flesh, came for you. You are called to follow Him and obey Him alone. Therefore, you are fully included in the commission of telling others about Jesus.

How do I know this?

Because Jesus says so.

For example, when Mary of Bethany knelt in the posture of a disciple at Jesus’ feet, He defended her choice, saying, “But few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42).

Jesus launched His mission to the Samaritans by engaging an ostracized woman at the town well and discussing theology with her. She ran to tell her neighbors, so that “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did’ (John 4:39).

When a woman anointed Jesus and was criticized by men for not selling the vial of perfume to feed the poor, Jesus defended her theological actions: “Aware of this, Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me…Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her’” (Matthew 26:10,13).

When a woman violated purity standards to touch Jesus’ hem, she was completely healed, and “Then he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you, go in peace’” (Luke 10:48).

When Mary Magdalene encountered the risen Christ, Jesus commissioned her to tell the others of His resurrection: “Jesus said, ‘Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: ‘I have seen the Lord!’ And she told them that he had said these things to her.” (Luke 20:17-18).

I can go on since I haven’t even mentioned Mary of Nazareth, Elizabeth, Anna, or many others. And don’t even get me started on the other stories of God working through women throughout the Bible. I think you get the point. Jesus consistently responded in favor of each these women who acted or spoke out by faith in Him against societal norms that silenced and sidelined them. No exceptions.

Woman, Jesus has called you to lead, preach, and pastor for the sake of the church so that the hurting world might know Him. Personally, I do not want to miss a single message you have to tell me about God’s goodness in the land of the living. The assembled congregation doesn’t either. Please, do not stay silent and sidelined: go and tell, go and lead, go and be. Because Jesus says so.

© 2026 Lori Myers Berry