For the first time, a church affiliated with the Mississippi convention of Southern Baptists has named a woman as pastor

Christian Century, Feb 13, 2002

* For the first time, a church affiliated with the Mississippi convention of Southern Baptists has named a woman as pastor. Carla Street was installed as pastor of Rivercrest Fellowship, a small church in Jackson that is focused on young adults, on January 20, reported Associated Baptist Press, an independent news service.

Street had been co-pastor since she and her husband, Steve Street, began the church in 1993 and had been listed in an official convention document as associate pastor. Her husband recently resigned to become coordinator for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Mississippi, a moderate organization. Very few women serve as senior pastors in local churches affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention--about 35 churches among the 42,000 have women pastors--inasmuch as the denomination's statement of faith declares that pastorates are limited to men.