Episode 3 - Loopholes

Mar 27, 2025

Rosalie Beck, the first female professor of religion at Baylor University, brings her bold insights to the discussion. She reflects on her journey through theological education, revealing the gender dynamics in a male-dominated field. The conversation dives into loopholes that allowed women to serve in ministry despite restrictions, highlighting roles like professors and pastor's wives. They explore the historical evolution of women's ordination within the Southern Baptist Convention and challenge traditional perceptions of women's authority in religious contexts.

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Intro

00:00 • 3min

Navigating Restrictions: Southern Baptist Women in Ministry

02:40 • 8min

Challenging Assumptions in Academia

10:11 • 3min

Navigating Women’s Ordination in the SBC

13:12 • 17min

The Complex Role of the Pastor's Wife in Ministry

29:50 • 4min

Navigating Gender Dynamics in Religious Leadership

34:04 • 11min

In Episode 3 of All the Buried Women, co-hosts Beth Allison Barr and Savannah Locke explore the "loopholes" that allowed women to serve in ministry within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), despite the formal prohibition against female ordination. These loopholes included roles like professors, missionaries, and pastor’s wives, which allowed women to take on leadership and preaching roles in practice, even though they were not officially recognized as ordained ministers.

We reached out to the SBC, Paige Patterson, Darryl Gilyard, Tommy Gilmore, and the Council for National Policy for comment, and did not hear back.

All the Buried Women is presented by The Bible for Normal People.

Credits:

Hosts: Beth Allison Barr and Savannah Locke
Producer: Savannah Locke
Writing and Editing: Beth Allison Barr and Savannah Locke
Sound Editing and Music: Savannah Locke and Todd Locke
Introduction and Closing Song: Jaded by Savannah Locke
Special Thanks (in order of appearance): Rosalie Beck, Steve Bezner, and Pamela Durso
Partner Organization: The Bible for Normal People
Additional Thanks: Andy Clark, Systems Administrator within the University Libraries at Baylor University; Erin Smith, Marketing Manager at Baker Publishing Group; Jordan Corona; Dr. Taffey Hall, Director of the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives; Brittany Prescott, Podcast Producer for The Bible for Normal People; Adam McCullough, Archivist of Canadian Baptist Archives at McMaster Divinity College; Gordon Heath, Director of Canadian Baptist Archives at McMaster Divinity College; Rev. Leanne Friesen, Executive Minister of Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec (CBOQ) and CBOQ executive board; and Audrey and Alex from Lawyers for Reporters.

Social Media Links:

Follow us on Instagram: @alltheburiedwomen @bethallisonbarr @savannah_locke @thebiblefornormalpeople
Subscribe to Beth's Substack: https://bethallisonbarr.substack.com
Subscribe to Savannah's Substack: https://savannahlocke.substack.com

Promo Code:

Use code PODCAST40 to get 40% off Becoming the Pastor’s Wife until April 30th through Baker Publishing Group's Website: http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/becoming-the-pastor-s-wife/414910

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