Just days after the Southern Baptist Convention voted to advance a constitutional amendment that would bar churches with women serving in pastoral roles from remaining in friendly cooperation with the denomination, a clip of N.T. Wright making the biblical case for women in ministry is spreading across social media.
In the clip, the New Testament scholar is asked why he has reached a different conclusion than Christians who believe Scripture restricts women from teaching and leading in the church.
“Everywhere I go in America, people ask me this question,” Wright told the congregation of Capital Church in Salt Lake City. “Honestly, it’s getting worse right now.”
Wright noted that debates over women in ministry feel particularly intense in the United States. When making his case, he said he typically starts with two women in the New Testament: Phoebe and Mary Magdalene.
First, he pointed to Phoebe, the woman Paul entrusted with delivering his letter to the Romans.
“Romans is one of the greatest pieces of writing ever,” Wright said. “Who are you going to give it to? Well, some senior apostle. Well, no, actually it’s Phoebe.”
According to Wright, delivering a letter in the ancient world involved much more than transportation. The person carrying it would often read it aloud to its recipients and explain its contents when questions arose.
“The high probability is that the first person to do public exposition of Paul’s letter to the Romans was a businesswoman from east of Corinth,” Wright said. “Now that already blows people’s minds.”
Wright then turned to Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the risen Jesus in John 20. After discovering the empty tomb, Mary is sent by Jesus to announce the resurrection to the disciples.
“The crucified Jesus is alive again and he’s Lord of the world,” Wright said. “That is the foundation of all Christian gospel preaching. And the first person to do that job is Mary Magdalene.”
The clip has gained traction as denominations and churches continue to wrestle with questions about women in ministry.
The SBC’s proposed “Law Amendment” failed in 2024 but returned in a revised form this year as the newly named Truth and Unity Amendment. Messengers approved the measure by a wide margin at the denomination’s annual meeting in Dallas, though it will require a second vote next year before becoming part of the SBC Constitution.
Supporters argue the amendment simply codifies the denomination’s long-held complementarian convictions. Critics say it narrows the space for women to exercise ministry gifts and could further alienate younger Christians who already view the church’s debates over gender with skepticism.
Wright has long argued that discussions about women in leadership should begin not with modern culture wars but with the examples found in the New Testament itself. In the viral clip, he suggests that two of Christianity’s most important announcements—the delivery of Romans and the proclamation of the resurrection—were entrusted to women.
See the full conversation here:
