HARRISONBURG, Va. (ROCKTOWN NOW) – Delegates at the Southern Baptist Convention narrowly rejected a proposal Wednesday to enshrine a ban on churches nationwide with women pastors in the denomination’s constitution.

Reverand Eli Withers is an associate pastor at Harrisonburg Baptist Church. She told Rocktown Now that while she was surprised that the nationwide ban did not pass, she says this is a distraction from working to build the kingdom of God.

“I know, personally, that I am called by God,” Withers said. “I have studied scripture endlessly and I have no doubt I wouldn’t do this if I had doubts that I was called by God, and I know the other women in ministry that I know – or even those I don’t know – nobody gets into this work just for fun.”

Incidentally, Harrisonburg Baptist recently withdrew from the Southern Baptist Convention and is now affiliated with another Baptist convention.