A Pleasant Surprise

I was pleasantly surprised to read that the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma has elected a woman to serve as Vice President of the state convention. Here's a quote from Baptist Press:

Oklahoma Baptists made history when messengers to the annual meeting of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma elected a woman to one of its three top offices.

Marty Odom, a member of Quail Springs Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, was elected second vice president without opposition.

It is rare that I find much to commend about the leadership of Oklahoma's Fundamentalist dominated state convention, but this action is truly commendable. It sets a precedent worthy of wide and frequent emulation.

Once Oklahoma Baptists discover that thunderbolts won't rain down on them for placing a woman in a position of some authority over the state's pastors, perhaps they'll learn that they have nothing to fear when a Baptist church feels led to call a woman to serve as pastor.