RNS Morning Report - How women pastors became public enemy No. 1 in the SBC

How women pastors became public enemy No. 1 in the SBC   Southern Baptists have long believed that only men can be pastors. But for decades, the denomination took no action to expel churches where women pastors served. Then, in the middle of an abuse controversy, it became a denominational crisis.   RNS National Reporter Bob Smietana reports on how and why that happened - the story reveals a larger trend among conservative evangelicals and MAGA advocates, in which women are seen as threats to both the church and the country. It also reflects the way social media has transformed every local debate into a national controversy — and the way well-intentioned reforms can have unintended consequences.   “There’s a great line that divides liberal and biblical evangelicalism, and you can see it on this very issue,” Al Mohler, head of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, told thousands of local church representatives at the recent SBC meeting in Orlando. “The trajectory of liberal denominations is clear.”         Top Stories How women pastors became public enemy No. 1 in the SBC (RNS) — Southern Baptists have long believed that only men can be pastors. But for decades, the denomination took no action to expel churches where women pastors served. Then, in the middle of an abuse controversy, it became a denominational crisis. This 8 am Zoom service has become a satellite of love (RNS) — The 30-minute morning minyan offered through the Los Angeles-based IKAR Synagogue has become the primary form of community and prayer for a group of Jews from around the world. Growing ‘goon’ violence against churches in Kenya worries clergy (RNS) — Critics of Kenyan President William Ruto accuse politicians in his administration of hiring and protecting thugs to attack and intimidate opponents. As reports of anti-Christian incidents in Israel increase, advocates press police to act JERUSALEM (RNS) — ‘For three years, the police saw me as a nudnikit (pest),’ said Yisca Harani, founder of the Religious Freedom Data Center, which tracks and aims to prevent incidents targeting Christians in Israel. ‘After the incident with the nun, I feel they are taking me a little more seriously.’ Opinion A Rastafarian’s Supreme Court loss shows religious freedom depends on who you are (RNS) — No matter how robustly our laws may appear to protect religious liberty, our rights are mediated, shaped and limited by a larger legal system that frequently fails to protect the most vulnerable. A growing movement wants to regulate the wellness industry (RNS) — Seek Safely is a nonprofit organization that aims to add guardrails to the wellness and self-help industry by focusing on three main areas: education, advocacy and legislation. ICYMI Is Bethany’s break with LGBTQ+ people a bellwether for foster care? (RNS) — LGBTQ+ advocates worry the change will mean fewer beds for foster youth. Haitian immigrants revived a church. Now the pews are empty. (RNS) — With the Supreme Court set to rule on whether Haitians will lose Temporary Protected Status, fear is emptying church pews. At St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the Haitian immigrants who brought life to the congregation are gone. Support Our Work As a nonprofit newsroom that covers all faiths, RNS sits uniquely at the intersection of freedom of the press and freedom of religion. News tips or feedback? Email comments@religionnews.com. Like the Morning Report? Share it with a friend. Forwarded this newsletter? Subscribe here. We rely on reader donations to power our reporting. Donate here. Or send a check to: Religion News Foundation PO Box 1808 Columbia, MO 65205

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