Life For Women in The Southern Baptist Convention

Andrew Miller

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBS) has played a significant role in the life of many Southern women since its foundation in 1845. The SBC is a powerful denomination of Christianity in the United States with about 13 million members (about twice the population of Arizona). The topic of women’s roles in the Southern Baptist Convention can be controversial and the denomination can be seen as less progressive as other denominations of Christianity. This paper will explore the sociology of gender relations in the Southern Baptist Convention. More specifically, it explores the actual role of women in the Southern Baptist church and the duties they carry out; how the role of women in the Southern Baptist church has evolved over time; and how the beliefs, practices, and ideology of the Southern Baptist convention affect women in the church.

• Andrew Miller is from Spartanburg, South Carolina and is a senior biology major at Lander University. He plans to attend medical school soon in hopes of becoming a family medicine doctor.