This past week, Brianna and I had the opportunity to represent Calvary Baptist Church as Messengers at the 2025 Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas, Texas. It was an encouraging time to gather with other Southern Baptists to hear about the work being done through the various entities of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). We also had the opportunity to celebrate the 100th anniversary of both the Cooperative Program and the Baptist Faith and Message. The Cooperative Program is the missions-funding program that, since its inception, has raised over $20 billion for missions and ministry both domestically and internationally. This money has been used to bring the Gospel to the lost and witness the transformation of many from spiritual deadness to spiritual life. For this week, we can all be thankful for the world of the SBC in carrying out the Great Commission! Likewise, The Baptist Faith and Message is vitally important in the life of the SBC. This is the confessional document that describes the unity of Southern Baptists in faith and practice. This document has been a key to the continued unity of churches in SBC life, serving the common cause of doctrinal unity. We can be thankful for this unity that continues to this day in our SBC churches.
New Officers Selected
The Messengers of the 2025 SBC Annual Meeting elected two new officers to serve a one-year term, as well as reelected three officers to continue in their current positions. Nathan Finn, executive director of the Institute for Transformational Leadership and professor of faith and culture at North Greenville University in Tigerville, S.C., ran unopposed for his fourth term as recording secretary. Don Currence, administrative pastor at First Baptist Church in Ozark, Mo., ran unopposed for his seventh term as registration secretary. Craig Carlisle, director of missions for the Etowah Baptist Association in Gadsden, Ala., was elected second vice president. Daniel Ritchie, evangelist, author, and member of the Summit Church in Durham, N.C., was elected first vice president. Clint Pressley (left), Pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC, was overwhelmingly reelected president of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Major Motions at the 2025 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting
Every annual meeting has its share of consequential motions made by Messengers. This year was no different. In total, 28 motions were made by Messengers at this year’s meeting. Most of these motions were referred to the entities they were aimed at or were deemed out of order. I would like to note two important motions that were brought to the floor for a vote. Neither of these motions passed. The first was a motion to abolish the ERLC. This motion failed to pass, with the majority voting against its abolishment, 57% to 43%. The second motion was known as the Sanchez Amendment at this meeting, although it had been referred to as the Law Amendment at previous meetings. This Amendment would have amended the SBC Constitution to explicitly state that only churches that “affirms, appoints or employs only men as any kind of pastor” would be in friendly cooperation with the Convention. This motion required a 2/3 majority to pass and fell short, with 61% in favor and 39% opposed.
Last Things
I left the Annual Meeting encouraged by the work of the Southern Baptist Convention locally and around the world. This is true despite some matters not going the way I had hoped. For example, I voted in favor of the Law/Sanchez amendment, as it would have provided the needed clarity for the Credential Committee to definitively determine who is not in friendly cooperation with our Convention concerning this particular issue. However, the vote did not achieve the needed 2/3 majority to move forward. In my opinion, this is unfortunate. Despite this, I do not believe that this is an indication that the SBC is moving towards an unbiblical egalitarian stance. In fact, the numbers prove the opposite. In previous years, when churches deemed to be out of friendly cooperation with the Convention on this issue appealed to the Messengers for reinstatement, the vote always ended up 90% or more in favor of affirming the Credentials Committee’s decision. This is a sign that we are in a healthy place when it comes to our stand on biblical complementarianism. Our Convention is not perfect, but it is one that is united in moving toward the goal of Glorifying God through missions, sending, and biblical fidelity. For that, I can say it is great to be a Southern Baptist!
— Pastor Jaime Owens