Draft:Linda Barnes Popham

Linda Barnes Popham is an evangelical Christian pastor depicted in the 2024 documentary entitled "Hold The Line". She is currently the pastor of Fern Creek Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, where she has served since March 1983.

Biography
In March of 1983, Linda Barnes Popham joined the staff of Fern Creek Baptist Church as Minister of Music and Youth. She then became the Minister of Music and Education and eventually became the Interim Pastor in August of 1990. She was called as Pastor in April 1993. Linda was born in Sheffield, Alabama and is a graduate of the University of North Alabama and of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Before serving at Fern Creek Baptist Church, Linda served in other churches in Alabama and Kentucky. Linda has been married to George Popham since October 2001. At that time, she gained two step-sons and daughters-in-law. George and Linda have four grandchildren.

Split from the Southern Baptist Convention
In February of 2023, Fern Creek Baptist Church was one of several churches disfellowshipped from the Southern Baptist Convention because they allow women to serve as pastors. By this time, Linda Barnes Popham had served as pastor of the church for 33 years. Amendments to "The Baptist Faith and Message" in the year 2000 included a provision which limited the office of pastor to men. Fern Creek Baptist Church followed the 1963 version of "The Baptist Faith and Message", which did not contain this limitation. Yet, from the year 2000 until 2023, Fern Creek Baptist Church was considered to be "in friendly cooperation" with the Southern Baptist Convention. The church was allowed to appeal the decision of the Southern Baptist Convention and took this opportunity.

At the 2023 Southern Baptist Convention, Fern Creek Baptist Church, was allowed to make a public statement of appeal. However, the overwhelming majority of delegates to the convention voted to uphold the decision and Fern Creek Baptist Church lost the appeal.