Atlanta, Georgia (November 7, 2025) — Baptist Women in Ministry (BWIM) has released the State of Women in Baptist Life Report 2025, marking the twentieth anniversary of the publication. The report provides research, statistics, and analysis for women serving in ministry across Baptist communities, especially those which have an openness to women’s ordination and pastoral leadership.
The 2025 report highlights measurable gains and reasons for celebration, as well as recognizing the enduring disparities women face in Baptistlife.
“This twentieth anniversary edition is both a celebration and a call to action,” said Rev. Dr. Meredith Stone, Executive Director of BWIM. “The data shows more Baptist women than ever before are experiencing God’s call to ministry and having opportunities to live out their callings in ministerial and pastoral roles. However, until every category of women’s leadership among Baptists reaches 50%, there is still work to be done.”
Key Findings:
● BWIM has recorded the ordinations of 2,856 Baptist women since 1964, including 134 ordinations from 2022–2024 included this report.
● Five Baptist denominational groups have experienced an increase in the number of churches led by female senior pastors or co-pastors since 2021—Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV), Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT), Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF), District of Columbia Baptist Convention (DCBC), and General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (GBSC).
● Notably, in just 4 years, there are 17 more women serving as senior pastors or co-pastors in the General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (GBSC), a 52% increase, and 37 more women serving as senior pastors or co-pastors in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF), a 35% increase.
● Enrollment of Baptist women in seminary Master’s programs included in the report has surpassed 52%, and the percentage of Baptist women enrolled in Doctor of Ministry programs rose from 26.2% to 36.7%.
● New qualitative research identifies six markers of congregations that create empowering environments for women including affirmation of women in various leadership roles, intentionality toward gender in the work of the church, non-hierarchical organizational structures, support networks for women, addressing gender issues, creating egalitarian staff policies.
BWIM invites ministers, pastors, churches, seminaries, and denominational partners to use the report as both a benchmark and a resource for transformation.
“Women have, and will always be, crucial to the church’s ability to do God’s work in the world. With the progress that this report portrays, we hope Baptists will be able to catch a glimpse of a world in which there are no limits or barriers to how women can participate in furthering God’s work, and therefore also no limits to how God might work among us.”
The full State of Women in Baptist Life Report 2025 is available for download at https://bwim.info/state-of-women-in-baptist-life-report/. For more information, reach out to executivedirector@bwim.info.
About Baptist Women in Ministry Baptist Women in Ministry (BWIM) is a national nonprofit organization committed to supporting Baptist women who pursue ministry and advocating for their full affirmation in ministry and leadership in Baptist life. BWIM envisions a future where women thrive as they minister and lead in Baptist communities. Learn more at www.bwim.info.