Saddleback Church, founded by pastor Rick Warren and one of the largest congregations of the Southern Baptist Convention, was ousted on Tuesday for having a woman pastor.
The convention officially opposes women as pastors, but the controversy began in 2021 when Warren ordained three women as pastors.
The Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention approved a recommendation from the denomination’s Credentials Committee that Saddleback be deemed “not in friendly cooperation with the Convention” for having “a female teaching pastor functioning in the office of pastor.” Saddleback has the right to appeal the decision at the next annual meeting.
The Executive Committee also voted to oust five other congregations, four over the issue of women as pastors and one over the issue of sexual abuse.
The SBC has authorized the ouster of churches that don’t conform to its statement of faith, including churches with women pastors, LGBTQ-inclusive policies, support for racism, or failure to respond adequately to child sexual abuse.
In recent years, some churches have been ousted for allegedly failing even to cooperate in answering to such allegations.