Pastor Linda Barnes Popham found faith as an Alabama child, fights to preach in Southern Baptist church

One of two pastors who defended the right of Southern Baptist churches to have women pastors said she came to faith as a child in Alabama.

The Rev. Linda Barnes Popham, pastor of Fern Creek Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., joined Saddleback Church founder Rick Warren in addressing the convention in New Orleans on Tuesday.

The Executive Committee ousted five churches in February, but only two of the four expelled because of having women pastors — Fern Creek and Saddleback — opted to appeal.

Two other churches, Calvary Baptist in Jackson, Miss., and St. Timothy’s Christian Baptist in Baltimore, were disfellowshipped over women pastors but did not appeal the decision.

The convention also heard an appeal from Freedom Church of Vero Beach, Florida, which the Executive Committee ousted for what it said was a failure to address a situation of sexual misconduct. The church said it had addressed the issue, but a committee representative disputed that.

“I’ve been a Southern Baptist my entire life, giving my life to Jesus Christ as an 8-year-old child at the York Terrace Baptist Church in Sheffield, Alabama,” Popham said.

“I was taught there to love Jesus with all my heart. I was taught to follow to the ends of the earth whatever he called me to do. I was taught to share the gospel and I was taught to be a student of his word.

“I’ve served for over 51 consecutive years on the staff of Southern Baptist churches, beginning at the age of 16. I’ve served Fern Creek Baptist Church for over 40 years, the last 33 preaching the word of God.

“So, why now? We’re not here to convince any of you to allow your church to have women pastors. That’s not the issue here. We disagree with some of you in your faith practice. Look at you extreme Calvinists. I don’t agree with you.

“Look at all of you who closed your churches during COVID, I don’t agree with you, but I don’t want to kick you out, because you are a part of the family and we at Fern Creek Baptist Church love you very much.”

Popham addressed the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in New Orleans on Tuesday, defending her right to preach from the pulpit.

“Fern Creek Baptist Church is a very conservative evangelical, mission-minded, Great Commission church, like many of you,” Popham said.

“We know that Jesus is the only way to the father, we know that his word is perfect, and we know that one day he’s coming again, but we also know that the Spirit gives illumination to our hearts and minds, and therefore we don’t all interpret every scripture the same way.”

Popham spoke before Warren on Tuesday afternoon. The SBC Executive Committee asked former Southern Baptist Seminary President Albert Mohler to defend the denomination’s stance against women pastors.

In 2000, the Southern Baptist Convention adopted a new Baptist Faith & Message doctrinal statement that said “the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.”

Those words were inserted because “30 years ago this issue threatened to tear this denomination apart,” Mohler said.

“It’s a matter of biblical commitment, a commitment to the scripture that unequivocally, we believe, limits the office of pastor to men. It is an issue of biblical authority,” Mohler said.

“It is one that has actually led to the unity of the Southern Baptist Convention as Southern Baptists have gone forward with an issue of clarity here which has greatly made our doctrine and order a matter of unity and harmony. It is the unity and harmony of the Southern Baptist Convention that is now at stake.”

Mohler argued that the Southern Baptist Convention needs to disfellowship churches that have a woman who holds the title of pastor.

Southern Baptist churches are considered independent and autonomous, not ruled by a denomination, but they agree to cooperate with churches in “friendly cooperation” doctrinally to support mission work.

The SBC voted Tuesday on the appeals at its annual meeting, but the results of the balloting have not been announced yet.

“We believe that the Bible allows women to serve in ways in which all of you do not agree,” Popham said. “But we should still be able to partner together.”