06/19/2026
I've spent years sitting with survivors. And one of the patterns I keep seeing one that doesn't get named nearly enough is that communities who silence women's voices don't just create bad theology, they create conditions where abuse can flourish right beneath the surface.
That's a core argument in my book, Safe Church. And what I thought about when I heard the SBC's latest decision to further restrict women's voices in ministry.
This is not about gender roles, it’s about power and control that severely impact issues of safety for vulnerable women in the church.
When women are consistently told their voice doesn't count, their experience isn't trustworthy, and their calling is inherently less valid, what do you think happens when one of them tries to name harm? What happens when she tries to challenge someone in power? What happens when she needs to be believed if she is getting abused and exploited?
Silence doesn't protect anyone. It keeps entitlement intact and further insulates insecure men in power!
I've watched this play out so many times, when women are taught that submission is the highest virtue and speaking up is a form of rebellion, it doesn't just shape misogynistic theology, it shapes whether abuse gets reported, survivors get believed and if predators get held accountable.
A safe church isn't measured by how well it self-preserves and looks good on the surface. It's measured by how well it protects its people.
And right now, the SBC is doubling down on a structure and system that makes protection of the most vulnerable harder. The church doesn't need fewer women speaking. It needs the courage and honestly the humility to finally listen.
Living Proof Ministries with Beth Moore
