History

From 1970 to 1982, the fight for ratification of the Equal Rights Ammendment was prevalent in advocacy within American politics. The constitutional amendment, which guaranteed equal rights for women, passed the US Congress in 1971 and the US Senate in 1972, but needed to be ratified by 38 states within 7 years. Despite early momentum and a timeline extension, the amendment failed to be ratified by the necessary number of states before the deadline.

With heightened attention surrounding women’s rights in the broader society during that time frame, agencies within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) also initiated discussion of women’s equality within a Baptist expression of Christian Faith. In 1974, the Christian Life Commission (CLC) hosted an event at Glorieta Conference Center called, “Christian Liberation for Women.” They released the findings of the event to the broader convention under the title, “Freedom for Women and Other Human Beings.” In addition to the CLC, the Women’s Missionary Union (WMU) also began elevating the conversation around women in ministerial and pastoral roles. Morever, Helen Lee Turner created a newsletter for women in ministry, “Called and Committed,” with a small cirulation in 1978-1979.

In September 1978, 11 SBC agencies, seminaries, and auxiliaries came together to support and host the “Consultation on Women in Church-Related Vocations” at the Sunday School Board Building in Nashville. Three hundred representatives from supportive groups came for the 3-day event including seminary presidents and SBC executives. But despite the widespread support, the event was also protested and condemed by others.

Nine months following the Consultation in June 1979, a politically-motivated group working toward a conservative takeover of the SBC won the election for the presidency of the convention. With the win, the group gained tremendous power and influence over the SBC’s direction. However, movement for the recognition and affirmation of women in ministry within the SBC was not deterred, yet. Notably, three key events occurred in 1982 which precipitated the formation of an organization for women in ministry.

The WMU, led by Carolyn Weatherford, began hosting dinners for women in “church-related vocations” at the SBC Annual Meetings in 1979. At the dinner held in June 1982, Sarah Frances Anders, a professor of sociology at Louisiana College, presented research on the current state of women in ministry in the SBC. She shared that since Addie Davis, the frist Southern Baptist woman ordained to ministry in 1964, around 140 additional women had been ordained in teh 18 years that followed, and that 6 SBC churches were pastored by women. In light of these numbers, at the end of her address she stated, “…we cannot afford to hesitate in building a support system for women in ministry…”.

In October 1982, a group of 7 churches in North Carolina, along with representatives from Southern Baptists for the Family and Equal Rights, hosted the “Theology is a Verb” conference at St. John’s Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina with the theme: “Issues Affecting Women.” Nancy Hastings Sehested, associate minister at Oakhurst Baptist Church in Decatur, GA presented the findings of a working group. She called for the formation of a network of support which might organize women in ministry conferences, and for the creation of a newsletter to be produced, preferably, out of a local church.

Then, in December 1982, the CLC appointed a 7-member task force to “develop strategies for encouraging greater participation by women in all levels of Southern Baptist life.” The task force created recommendations for the CLC including developing record-keeping mechanisms for women in ministry, creating educational materials and a newsletter, and providing “support services to other SBC agencies seeking to eliminate sexism.” The CLC gave the responsibility for this work to a staff member, Lela Hendrix.

In response to the resulting energry of these three impetuses, in January 1983, Sehested wrote invitation letters to 15-20 women inviting them to gather prior to the Christian Life Commission’s annual conference in Louisville, Kentucky. The purpose of the gathering was “to discuss organizing a network of support for professionally employed women in ministry.” They would meet in the home of Reba Cobb on the evening of March 20, 1983, and at Crescent Hill Baptist Church the following morning of March 21.

Thirty-three women fathered at the March 1983 meeting: Becky Albritton (OH); Pat Ayres (TN); Pat Bailey (KY); Linda McKInnish Bridges (KY); Harriet Clay (NY); Reba Sloan Cobb (KY); Jenni Cook (TX); Anne Davis (KY); Pearl DuVall (GA); Velma Farrell (NC); Nancy Foil (KY); E. Jo Heiliger (OK); Lela Hendrix (TN); Margaret Holcomb (TX); Cindy Harp Johnson (KY); Molly Marshall-Green (KY); June McEwen (KY); Barbara McNeir (VA); Karen Conn Mitcham (KY); Anne Thomas Neil (NC); Carol Noffsinger (KY); Brenda Paddleford (NC); Betty McGary Pearce (KY); Nina T. Pollard (KY); Verna Quirin (IA); Inez Register (SC); Nancy Hastings Sehested (GA); Linda Stack (NC)’ Evelyn Stagg (MS); Susan Taylor (GA); Lynda Weaver-Williams (KY); Carolyn Weatherford (AL); and Jenny Graves Weisz (NC).

At the meeting, the women participated in times of fellowship and sharing, and they listened to an address by Sehested titled, “Southern Baptist Women in Ministry: Vision, Goal, Strategy, and Tactics.” In her remarks, Sehested presented a bold visioin for transforming the shape of power and authority among Baptists.

Rather than the hierarchical paradigms which dominated, Sehested pointed to the power modeled by Christ which resembled the role of an educating rabbi and an empowering community organizer. The goal to begin moving toward that vision would be the formation of an organization which would encourage women to fuller ministries in the church and the SBC. She concluded with strategies and tactics for bringing the goal toward fruition and creating vehicles for change.

During a business session, Reba Cobb and Betty McGary presented a proposal for the creation of a Center for Women in Ministry, which would provide a newsletter, counseling, and resume services for women. They enlisted support from Crescent Hill Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, local leaders to support the formation process, and from June McEwen to help secure grant funding.

At the same business meeting, a task force was formed to plan for a gathering of Women in Ministry, SBC (WIM, SBC) just prior to the Convcention’s annual meeting in Ptissburgh, June 1983. The task force met in Birmingham, AL in May and included Sarah Frances Anders, Reba Cobb, Anne Davis, Lela Hendrix, Anne Neil, Nancy Hastings Sehested, Carolym Weatherford, and Jenny Graves Weisz. Simultaneously, Reba Cobb and Betty McGary worked to create the Center for Women in Ministry and began making plans for the first newsletter.

Seventy-five people attended the first gathering of WIM, SBC on June 11-12, 1983. Anne Davis convened the two-day meeting, and declared that this organization would be independent, would speak its own mind, and would not be tied to an agency of the SBC. Gathering speakers and preachers included Debra Griffis-Woodberry, Anne Neil, Nancy Hastings Sehested, and Christine Gregory.

As a newly formed organization, the group did not have funds for such a gathering but relied on the support of SBC agencies and auxiliaries. The WMU provided a space for the gathering to take place and continued to provide in this manner for future gatherings for a number of years. Further, the CLC’s Lela Hendrix provided logistical support for the organization in its first year by keeping track of registrations and contact information.

During the business session, the participants adopted a purpose statement which stipulated that the organization would “provide support for the women whose call from God defines her vocation as that of minister… and encourage and affirm her call to be a servant of God.” Participants also unanimously agreed to meet again prior to the 1984 SBC Annual Meeting in Kansas City, MO, and selcted a 16-member steering committee that was charged with planning the 1984 gathering.

The meeting also included the distribution of the first issue of Folio: A Newsletter for souther Baptist Women in Ministry by the Center for Women in Ministry with Cobb and McGary serving as editors. The four-page newsletter included articles by Anders and Sehested and news from the seminary campuses. The Summer 1983 issue of Folio was the first of many as the newsletter was published quarterly from 1983-2003 as the official voice of women in ministry in the SBC.

Furthermore, the adoption of a resolution on women at the 1983 SBC Annual Meeting immediately following the gathering of WIM, SBC was also a signal of positive momentum. The resolution concluded, “Be it finally resolved that we encourage all Southern Baptists to continue to explore further opportunities of service for Baptist women, to ensure maximum utilization of all God-called servants of our Lord Jesus Christ.” An attempt to amend the resolution to read that it “should not be interpreted as endorsing the ordination of women” narrowly failed, thus the resolution passed creating hope for change.

Soon after the June 1983 meeting, Southern Baptist women ministers also began to organize on the state level. Women in Ministry, North Carolina was formed inthe fall of 1983. Similar groups were soon meeting in Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Texas.

One year later, due to the diligent work of the 1983-1984 steering committee, 250 women and men of all ages and all areas of ministry gathered at the 1984 WIM, SBC meeting held on June 9-10 in Kansas City. The meeting’s preacher was Susan Lockwood Wright of Cornell Avenue Baptist Church in Chicago. In addition to large group sessions, the participants attended a dinner and a business meeting, and took part in small group times.

Despite the affirming and encouraging spirit which participants of the 1984 gathering carried into the SBC Annual Meeting, a blow to the movement came in the form of another resolution. SBC messengers voted to adopt a resolution titled, “On Ordination and the Role of Women in Minsitry.” The resolution, in part, stated: “WHEREAS, the Scriptures teach that women are not in public worship to assume a role of authority over men lest confusion reign in the local church; and WHEREAS, While Paul commends women and men alike in other roles of ministry and service, he excludes women from pastoral leadership to preserve a submission God requires because man was first in creation and woman was first in the Edenic fall…THEREFORE, be it RESOLVED, That we not decide concerns of Christian doctrine and practice by modern culture, sociological and ecclesiastical trends or by emotional factors; that we remind ourselves of the dearly bought Baptist principle of the final authority of Scripture in matters of faith and conduct; and that we encourage the service of women in all aspects of church life and work other than pastoral functions and leadership roles entailing ordination.”

As women had begun organizing, amplifying their voices, encouraging one another to find freedom in ministry, and gaining momentum, the leaders of the conservative takeover assterted their power osition in an attempt to squelch the movement. However, the outcry of female and male leaders against the resolution was thunderous. Opinion articles, letters to editors, and counter resolutions in local associations arose. Though short-lived, some support from SBC agencies and seminaries even continued for a time. But while resolutions are intended to be non-binding, other SBC agencies quickly began revisiting policies. For example, the Home Mission Board revised policies regarding chaplaincy endorsement and missionary appointment.

Support for women in ministry was needed more than ever. The 1985 gathering of WIM, SBC took place in Dallas and included more than 500 participants. The fathering preacher was Rev. Dr. Molly Marshall. In 1986. the work continued under a new name for the organization: Southern Baptist Women in Minsitry (SBWIM) and a formal constitution was adopted. During these pivotal year, Folio continued to provide an important point of connection, support, and advocacy for women in minsitry through their articles, updates, and ovations (celebrations of women’s ordinations and new ministry positions).

In 1987, early leaders of the movement were involved in the formation of the Southern Baptist Alliance (now Alliance of Baptists). Affirmation of women in ministry was a founding value of the Alliance, and the new group demonstrated this value by providing ongoing financial support for SBWIM beginning in 1988.

Also, in 1987, the SBWIM president, Elizabeth Bellinger, was invited to speak at the Southern Baptist Forum, a group of moderate pastors who remained in the SBC. Her address along with a joint press release with the Forum, were the first indications that SBWIM would join forces with the moderate movement within the SBC.

In 1990, over 500 people attended the SBWIM meeting in New Orleans and voted to approve a merger between the Center for Women in Ministry, which housed the production of Folio, and Southern Baptist Women in Ministry. The two organizations, which had been working toward the same ends for 7 years, were now oficially united.

The same year, many SBWIM leaders participated in the “Consultation of Concerned Baptists,” a gathering of 3,000 people in Atlanta. The result of this gathering was the formation of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF). SBWIM leaders remained closely connected in the early years of CBF’s formation, and in 1992 leaders moved SBWIM’s annual gathering to the day prior to the CBF General Assembly instead of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Other important events marked the early 1990s for SBWIM. Very significant were the forced departures of Molly Marshall, associate professor of Christian theology, and Diana Garland, dean of the Carver School of Social Work, form Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1995 and 1995. Those departures marked with both symbolism and substance the finality of the SBC’s position in opposition to women’s equality in ministry and leadership.

With the losses for women in ministry in the SBC and potential gains to be found among emerging Baptist groups, in 1995 members of SBWIM voted to change the name of the organization to Baptist Women in Ministry (BWIM). A few months later, the board of directors also voted to move the offices and archives of BWIM from Crescent Hill Baptist Church in Louisville to office space offered by Central Seminary in Kasas City, KS.

From 1995-2003, BWIM continued to publich Folio and serve as a resource for women in ministry in a variety of ways. A mew vision statement was adopted in 2000: “Baptist Women in Ministry will be a catalyst in Baptist life, drawing together women and men, in partnership with God, to illuminate, advocate, and nurture the gifts and graces of women.” Additionally, scholarships were established in honor of Addie Davis, and the organizaiton hired its first executive director, Susan Miller, in 2001-2003.

In 2003, the organizations, 20th anniversary, financial challenges facing the organization dictated that paid leadership could not continue. A transition team was appointed by BWIM president, Karen Massey. The team surveyed BWIM’s constituency and determined that the top concern for women in ministry was helpgin women find positions.

Organizationally, the work of the transition team resulted in moving BWIM’s offices and archives to Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology in Atlanta, resturcuting the board into a leadership team, transition from a member-based organization to being donor-supported, and creating a new logo. The transition team also re-imagined programming elements which included commissioning the first three State of Women in Baptist Life reports, creating and promoting Martha Stearns Mashall Day (later Month) of Preaching, and rebranding Folio as Vocare: A Voice for Women in Baptist Life.

The momentum gained by these actions, as well as the overwhelming success of the “This is What a Preacher Looks Like” book, t-shirts, and initiative, provided a foundation for BWIM to launch into the next phase of its work. The organization’s second executive director, Pam Durso, was hired in 2009. Her tenure continued until 2020 and included the following highlights: developing robust support for ministry search processes, creating retreats and resources for women’s discernment of calling, building and growing a mentoring program for women in ministry, continued keeping of statics and publishing the State of Women in Baptist Life reports, forming of the Clergy Sexual Misconduct Task Force in partnership withthe Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, introducing the BWIM Church of Excellence and Frankie Huff Granger Distinguished Mentor Awards, creating new mechanisms for collaborative celebration of the successes of women in ministry among Baptists, growing the diversity of BWIM’s work and constituencies, and strengthening networks and advocacy for women in ministry among Baptists. Durso was also successful in fundraising efforts so that the organization’s staff and budget could grow and thus its mission could move forward in affecting change for women in ministry among Baptists.

BWIM’s third executive director, Meredith Stone, was hired in 2020. On the 40th Anniversary of BWIM in 2023, the organization adopted new vision and mission statements, a theory of change, a strategic plan based on the theory of change, and organizational values. In the next phase of its ministry, BWIM will work to create a Baptist world where women in ministry are wanted, not just permitted; where women in ministry are celebrated, not just tolerated; where women in ministry thrive, not just survive.

Adapted by Meredith Stone from “A Twenty-Five Year Retrospective of Baptist Women in Ministry” in State of WOmen in Bpatist Life Report 2007, originally written by Pam Durso and Eileen Campbell-Reed.