EXODUS

Southern Baptists Lose Another Megachurch in Crackdown on Women Pastors

Elevation Church will leave the Southern Baptist Convention, taking its 26,000 weekly worshippers and its massive presence in North Carolina with it.

The Southern Baptist Convention has lost another one of its biggest megachurches after launching a purge of congregations with women pastors. The latest church to exit the SBC is North Carolina-based Elevation Church, whose average of 26,000 weekly worshippers made it one of the largest Protestant congregations in the United States, the Associated Press reported. Elevation Church’s letter to notify the convention of its departure didn’t explain its decision, but it comes just after the SBC affirmed its intent to expel two other megachurches for having women pastors. The wife of Elevation Church’s pastor has preached on numerous occasions. The church was also influential for its notable presence in the Christian music scene and its several campuses across North Carolina.