Dear Broadmoor Family,
I wanted to share with you a brief report from the Southern Baptist Convention’s Annual Meeting that took place this month in Dallas, Texas. As your pastor and as a messenger representing our church, I believe it’s important for you to understand the key discussions and decisions that took place at this year’s gathering.
The Gathering
With approximately 11,000 messengers present representing Southern Baptist churches across our nation, along with 8,000 guests, it was encouraging to see so many brothers and sisters in Christ gathered together to conduct the business of our convention and to worship together.
Key Resolutions and Amendments
Several significant matters came before the convention this year that I want to bring to your attention:
Marriage and Gender Resolution: The messengers passed a resolution reaffirming our biblical convictions regarding marriage and gender. This resolution was crafted with the hope of supporting efforts to overturn the Obergefell decision by the Supreme Court, standing firm on the biblical definition of marriage as between one man and one woman.
The Sanchez Amendment: You may recall that last year, the Law Amendment that was being considered for a vote to change language in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 was defeated by the messengers in Indianapolis at the 2024 Southern Baptist Convention. This amendment sought to affirm that only men are scripturally qualified to serve in the pastoral office, while minimizing the vital role that women play throughout churches like Broadmoor in ministry roles. This year, it was reintroduced as the Sanchez Amendment. After much discussion and debate, this amendment also failed to receive the necessary votes to pass.
ERLC Resolution: A resolution was presented to abolish the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) of the Southern Baptist Convention. This resolution ultimately failed, meaning the ERLC will continue to work on behalf of our convention in Washington D.C.
Financial Transparency Motion: A motion was brought to the floor requesting greater financial transparency from our convention leadership. This would have required the release of much of the detailed budget oversight work currently handled by the Trustees, making it available to the messengers. This motion was not successful.
Reflections
As I reflect on these proceedings, I’m reminded that our convention, like any gathering of believers, involves brothers and sisters who may have different perspectives on various issues while maintaining our shared commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the authority of Scripture. The democratic process by which we conduct our business allows for healthy dialogue and debate, even when we don’t always agree on every matter.
What remains constant is our commitment to the Great Commission and our shared mission to reach the world with the Gospel. Whether these particular resolutions and amendments passed or failed, our calling as a local church remains unchanged: to make disciples, to grow in Christlikeness, and to serve our community with the love of Jesus.
The discussions at the convention remind us of the importance of staying grounded in God’s Word and maintaining our focus on what matters most – proclaiming the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ alone. While we engage thoughtfully with the issues of our day, we must never lose sight of our primary mission as a united family of faith to join Jesus on His mission for the glory of God and the good of our communities.
In His service,
Pastor Josh
