Over scones and chocolates, hundreds of Southern Baptist women gathered for tea in a convention center ballroom Monday (June 11) on the eve of their denomination’s annual meeting.
They were attending “[email protected]” a tradition of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, the school until recently led by Paige Patterson, the revered Southern Baptist leader who was terminated in May after reports he mishandled student rape allegations and made comments demeaning to women.
Patterson announced last week that he would not attend the annual meeting so as not “to detract in any way from the important business of our convention.” But at “[email protected]” Patterson’s wife, Dorothy, was seated at one of the front reserved tables, not commenting much on the recent scandal.
“We served at the pleasure of the board these years and they no longer have pleasure,” she told Religion News Service.
Though her husband was not mentioned by name, his seminary’s recent history of promoting women into gender-appropriate teaching roles — but not preaching positions — were highlighted from the stage.
Long known for his resistance to feminist ideas, Patterson has boasted previously about the programs for women he established at Southwestern Baptist. In an interview at last year’s meeting, he told RNS that while he holds to the Apostle Paul’s…
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