SBC 2025

Weekly Update – June 5th, 2025 

Every year, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) meets in June for its annual meeting.  The convention contains just over 47,000 churches with an average of 10,000 messengers attending this annual meeting on behalf of member churches.  The SBC was formed in 1845 with the singular purpose of, “eliciting, combining, and directing the energies of the Baptist denomination of Christians, for the propagation of the Gospel.”  First Baptist Church is an active member of the SBC and proudly unites with the other 47,000 churches in providing resources for church planting, international missions, seminary education, and much more. 

This year’s annual meeting will be held in Dallas, TX.  The meeting could be described as a massive business meeting where reports are heard from the different entities connected and supported by the SBC, with various speakers, and items presented to be voted on by the messengers who are present.  The SBC has a president who is elected every year and can serve up to two consecutive terms.  The current president is Clint Pressley, who is the senior pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC. He will complete his first term at the annual meeting and is expected to continue in this role for a second term.

In relation to the annual meeting being held next week, here are a few of the proposed resolutions for this year’s convention that I would like to highlight for you:

First, there is a proposed resolution titled, “On the Harmful and Predatory Nature of Sports Betting.” This resolution denounces the trend of increased legalized sports betting. As the resolution states, “The rapid expansion of legalized sports betting presents significant spiritual, moral, ethical, and societal concerns,” and “The normalization of sports betting commodifies participants, risks compromising the integrity of athletic competition, and jeopardizes the safety of competitors.” This is not the first time that the SBC has denounced gambling, but with the regulation of sports betting and its promotion in our culture, there is a need to warn about its predatory nature and condemn its practice. Therefore, as the resolution states, “we call upon our fellow Southern Baptists and all other followers of Christ to repent where needed, mourn the ubiquitous presence of sports betting in our culture, and refuse to participate in the sin of gambling.”

Second, there is a resolution titled, “On Banning Pornography.” Here, the SBC calls on state and federal lawmakers to “enact comprehensive laws that ban the creation, publication, hosting, and distribution of pornographic content in all media and to provide rigorous enforcement mechanisms — including age-verification and civil liability — in the ultimate effort to eradicate pornography nationwide.” The resolution continues by saying, “[W]e appeal to governors, attorneys general, and local officials to employ every constitutional means presently available to enforce existing obscenity laws and community-standards ordinances, and to ensure that the dignity of individuals and families is protected from this insidious material…[and] we urge believers to advocate for those harmed through sexual exploitation by committing themselves to steadfast prayer, pleading with God to restore broken lives and lead our nation to repentance for its involvement in the creation, distribution, and consumption of pornography.”

Third, there is a resolution titled, “On Standing Against the Moral Evils and Medical Dangers of Chemical Abortion Pills.” This resolution builds upon past pro-life advocacy on the part of the SBC. The Southern Baptist Convention has consistently affirmed the sanctity of all of life, from conception to natural death. It follows then that the SBC would oppose “all forms of abortion, including chemical abortion.” The resolution continues saying, “We give thanks to God for the United States Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade, ending the federal guarantee of abortion access,” therefore, the call to the SBC is to “grieve the continued destruction of preborn lives through chemical abortion and condemn the exploitation of women by an abortion industry increasingly reliant on dangerous drugs and deceptive practices.”

In a convention filled with over 47,000 churches, there is bound to be disagreement and some variety of opinions on certain issues.  With a group as large as the SBC filled with sinful men and women, there are even times when we need to repent of past actions. But God has been gracious and has sustained the work of the SBC for the furtherance of His name and for the salvation of souls all over the world.  There is no other denomination quite like Southern Baptists, and we can be thankful to be a part of such a group that often sets aside the personal preferences of men and women to unite for the sake of Christ’s name. The proposed resolutions are clear and straightforward, meaning that my hope is that they will pass unanimously at this year’s convention. Either way, I would encourage you to pray for this year’s convention meeting.  Pray that there would be unity.  Pray that there would be brokenness over sin. Pray that there would be a desire to show grace to those with other opinions. And most of all, pray that Christ would be honored through every proceeding and every event that takes place next week. 

Serving Him with You,
Pastor Michael Nelson