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Articles on Southern Baptist Convention

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Attendees pray during a worship service at the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting in Anaheim, California, on June 14, 2022. AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

The history of Southern Baptists shows they have not always opposed abortion

A scholar writes about how the Southern Baptist Convention’s views on abortion changed during the 1980s, when a more conservative wing seized control of the denomination.
A woman describes being abused sexually by a Southern Baptist minister, outside the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting in June 2019, in Birmingham, Ala. AP Photo/Julie Bennett

Patriarchy and purity culture combine to silence women in the Southern Baptist Convention – and are blocking efforts to address the sexual abuse scandal

Accused men were protected by the SBC while the women who dared to speak up were called sluts, adulteresses, Jezebels and even agents of Satan. A scholar of evangelicalism writes about this culture.
Each local congregation of the Southern Baptist Convention is autonomous and self-governing. Disagreements take place frequently. Joe Raedle/Getty images

Infighting in the Southern Baptist Convention shouldn’t be a surprise – the denomination has been defined by such squabbles for 400 years

Baptists believe that each person can have a personal relationship with God. This theology, a scholar writes, has also contributed to disagreements within the denomination since the 17th century.
Southern Baptist Convention leaders believe women’s ordination violates biblical teaching. Women have long protested against such views. AP Photo/Julie Bennett

How women in the Southern Baptist Convention have fought for decades to be ordained

Southern Baptists are calling for an investigation into the ordination of three women. A scholar explains why this continues to be a fraught issue, even though 2,500 women have been ordained to date.
Southern Baptist Convention messengers hold signs during a rally protesting the convention’s treatment of women in 2018. AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter

Sexism has long been part of the culture of Southern Baptists

Recent media reports point to years of sexual abuse by Southern Baptist pastors. An expert writes why a long culture of women’s submission is responsible for this crisis.

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