Throughout the nation and around the world, God’s people are making their mark. In the lives of individuals, through various churches, church organizations, and ministry efforts, the Spirit of God is working through His people to mobilize them for the sake of the gospel. And, while there are massive efforts underway, we can still be challenged to consider how we can do more. In 1st Timothy 3 (ESV), we can read:
14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that,
15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.
16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.
That mystery, having been revealed through Jesus, is coming to light throughout our world today. And, I believe we are seeing people awakened to the presence of Christ.
Under a familiar banner, over 12.3 million people claim to be part of the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S., the Southern Baptist Convention, which is holding its annual meeting in Orlando next week. Now, that numerical figure is 3% lower than last year, according to Lifeway Research, reporting on the denomination’s Annual Church Profile, but there are encouraging signs:
While fewer members belong to Southern Baptist congregations, more people are attending worship services and small groups and are being baptized.
On average, nearly 4.5 million people attend a Southern Baptist church each week, while more than 2.6 million participate in a small group Bible study or Sunday School class—both up more than 3% compared to 2024 and up for the fourth consecutive year.
Meanwhile, the number of baptisms increased by nearly 5% to well over a quarter of a million, marking five consecutive years of growth and surpassing pre-COVID levels.
Jeff Iorg, president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, stated: “Southern Baptist churches are focused on sharing the gospel and making disciples, the mission we cooperate to fulfill. While many other issues vie for our attention, pastors seem more determined than ever to focus on our core mission.”
Alabama, Georgia, and Florida are among states with at least a half-million Southern Baptist church members: Georgia at 1.1 million, Alabama at just over 900,000 and Florida at just a bit more than 760 thousand.
The headlining issue at this year’s convention will no doubt be the role of women in the congregations, which has become quite the dividing issue in the denomination. The website, Kentucky Today, published a story that said:
Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, says he will propose what he is calling the “Truth and Unity Amendment” to the SBC Constitution during the Annual Meeting in Orlando in June.
Mohler says he will move “that the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in June 2026 amend the Constitution of the SBC to add an enumerated 6th item, under Article 3, Paragraph 1, defining composition. This new language would make clear that a cooperating Southern Baptist church:
‘6. Does not act to affirm, appoint, or endorse a woman serving in the office or function of a pastor/elder/overseer, such as preaching to the assembled congregation.’”
In a Q&A contained in the article, he said: “The need for the amendment has been made very clear by recent Southern Baptist Convention meetings where the sessions have taken a great deal of time dealing with these issues, and I think there was a consensus last year.” He went on to say, “Now, remember that the similar kind of amendment was overwhelmingly approved by messengers twice in a row. It just wasn’t enough in that second vote to reach the by-law changing super majority, and even after the convention last year, subsequent developments have underscored the fact that something like this is necessary.” He noted that even some pastors who did not support that effort, known as the Law Amendment were talking to him about doing something to address that issue.
Indiana pastor Tim Overton, writing at the Center for Baptist Leadership website, noted:
This amendment is not about hostility toward women. Men and women are equally created in the image of God and possess equal dignity, value, and worth before the Lord. Christianity has historically elevated and honored women in ways many cultures never have.
However, Scripture also teaches that God created men and women with distinct responsibilities and complementary roles within the family and the church. The issue before the SBC is ultimately whether the Convention will uphold what it has historically believed the Bible teaches regarding the office of pastor.
According to Baptist Press, both candidates for President of the Convention, South Carolina pastor Josh Powell and Florida pastor Willy Rice, support the Amendment. Current President Clint Pressley has voiced his support as well.
Certainly, there is clear Scriptural authority that supporters state that they are standing on. But, as it’s been said, “the devil is in the details.” And, there have been plenty of details and “what if”-ing to go around.
But, it has become a contentious issue that can be a hindrance to the missions of the Convention and its people, among which are to strengthen believers and carry the presence of Christ throughout the earth. Fortunately, reasoned dialogue can bear much fruit, and the tone of this debate is commendable in most circles.
When we deal with the execution of that mission, there will be issues that arise from time to time - when an issue becomes divisive and will shift believers’ attention away from their Biblical mission, we must open our Bibles and engage in reasoned discussion.
Mohler, in the Kentucky Today piece, went as far as to liken the need for action to an issue three decades ago, saying: “Let me just remind Southern Baptists that a generation ago Southern Baptists took similar action on the LGBTQ issue, and since then it has not been an issue on the floor of the convention. So, for 30 years, we've been able to deal with other issues and move forward together, and it's exactly what we need on the question of pastors.”
But, in all things, when we face divisive issues, Scriptural authority must be sought and acted upon. Attempts to unify that don’t yield a Biblical outcome weaken the effectiveness of Christian bodies. We can demonstrate to the world the godly way that we as children of God settle our differences.