And I do really hope that this discussion is fruitful.
The Associated Baptist Press recently reported that the number of Baptist female pastors and co-pastors has grown by a third since 2005. Still, the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Baptist body, teaches that women are prohibited from serving as pastors, and many Baptist organizations still favor all-male leadership.
“In the African American churches, it is very strongly said that women should not pastor or even do ministry,” said Ogletree.
Houston Pastor Encourages Baptist Women in Ministry
Of course, each Baptist congregation is autonomous and can decide for itself whether to ordain women; that’s good side to being part of the Free Church tradition.
Some of the latest survey data suggests that conservative traditions are loosening their attitudes about female clergy. A 2006 survey found 86% of Black Protestants and 66% of Evangelical Protestants favor allowing female clergy, increases of about 20% over the past twenty years. Among Evangelical Protestants the gender split on that stat is not significant, and for the Black Protestant stat males are actually more supportive than females, 91% to 82%. I expect the denominational breakdown is more complicated, but the birds-eye view looks encouraging.
Yup, from what I have witnessed,, women are more opposed to women in leadership in black churches than men.
The consistency with which fundamentalism lags behind real world progress on human rights issues is as predictable as the tides.
Yaah it gets predictable, but I do have reason for hope that Xian fundamentalists can change on this issue.