Many things were swirling as messengers from thousands of Southern Baptist Churches made their way to Nashville, Tennessee for the 2021 Southern Baptist Convention. By most estimates, this convention was the largest in 25 years, with 15,726 registered messengers, and some 21,000 people in total attending. Among the messengers, all 50 States were represented, plus Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico.
I am writing this series of posts in an attempt to help clarify some of the things that occurred during this year’s annual convention meeting—how many of the issues went unresolved—and to hopefully help many better understand what is occurring within the Southern Baptist Convention.
One of the temptations for Southern Baptists is to think that all the issues leading up to the annual convention meeting get resolved at the meeting. It can easily be a situation where many miss the forest for the trees.
Here is a preview of what’s to come in this series…
1 - What is the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)?
2 - What is the Annual Meeting of the SBC?
3 - What happened at this year’s meeting?
Presidential Election and implications.
Critical Race Theory
Issues of Sexual Abuse
Polarized Opinions
4 - Keeping the Forest and the Trees in Perspective.
Understanding what’s happening within the Convention.
5 - Looking Ahead: Is There Hope?
Stay tuned …
-Pastor Ben