June 19th, 2025
by Dr. Spencer Plumlee
by Dr. Spencer Plumlee
Resolutions are formal statements of belief and conviction our convention makes every year. The Committee on Resolutions presents these for discussion, amendment and ultimately a vote during the Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). These statements allow our convention to speak to urgent, cultural matters without changing or updating our statement of faith.
Practically, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERCL) takes these resolutions and uses them as talking points with elected officials in Washington, D.C. Because they represent what we believe, they become talking points for conversation with policy makers about legislation that reflects our convictions.
The messengers at the Annual Meeting in Dallas approved eight resolutions in 2025.
Resolution 1: Appreciation for Dallas. Every year we take time to thank the city in which we meet for the Annual Meeting. We are served by thousands of staff members at the convention center, hotels, and restaurants during our stay. This resolution not only gives thanks for the host city but also encourages a gracious spirit as SBC Messengers and Guests interact with these precious people.
Significance: The SBC Annual Meeting rotates locations in an effort to engage different parts of the country. While the vast majority of our churches reside in the south, the convention regularly picks locations to make it easier for churches outside this region. For example, 2027 and 2028 will be in Indianapolis, IN and St. Louis, MO respectively.
Resolution 2: On the Centennial Celebration of the Cooperative Program. A key line from this resolution: That we affirm the Cooperative Program as a missions-funding strategy God has blessed to support and strengthen Southern Baptist efforts to share the gospel throughout the world. Our churches give to a unified giving mechanism called the Cooperative Program (CP) which funds missions, theological education and church planting. Founded in 1925, we celebrated its 100 year anniversary in a number of ways. My favorite was my friend Tony Wolfe’s (Executive Director of the South Carolina Baptist Convention) sermon on the significance of this achievement during the convention address.
Significance: While some have lost confidence in CP, it’s encouraging to see how strong the support is for it in our leadership. Our elders remain committed to giving through CP as one of the most important ways we cooperate with other Southern Baptist churches.
Resolution 3: On the Harmful and Predatory Nature of Sports Betting. Speaking of the impact of sports betting, this resolution stated the following: That we express our deep concern regarding its detrimental impact on individuals, families, and communities. This is a growing issue our convention felt the need to respond to. Sports Betting is indeed bringing ruin and devastation to countless families all over the world. It’s also being integrated into just about every level of athletics in this country.
Significance: This position reaffirms our long standing commitment to the importance of vocation and work as the means by which you not only contribute to the world but also earn a living. Gambling encourages a distortion of the value of hard work as the means by which we make money. It’s also been shown to be incredibly destructive to families.
Resolution 4: On Banning Pornography. A key line from this resolution is this: That we urge the United States Congress and state legislatures 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. Pornography is a grievous evil that has ravaged generations of people. The science is clear that it is harmful to the brains of all who consume this vile content. It’s equally clear that this industry is built on human trafficking.
Significance: This resolution directs the ERLC from a policy perspective to encourage our elected representatives in Washington D.C to make banning this harmful content a priority. It also reaffirms our long-standing opposition to this entire, multi-billion dollar industry. Sadly, many within our churches, and even our pastors, remain addicted to pornography. The only true freedom from the addiction to pornography is through Jesus Christ.
Resolution 5: On Restoring Moral Clarity through God’s Design for Gender, Marriage and Family. This resolution calls for the overturning of the Supreme Court's legalization of same sex marriage, the Obergefell Decision: That we call for the overturning of laws and court rulings, including Obergefell v. Hodges, that defy God’s design for marriage and family. That sexual intimacy should only be experienced in the confines of the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman has long been the SBC’s position. Given the overturning of nationwide abortion in the Dobbs decision, we remain hopeful that this kind of resolution encourages continued moral reform of our laws.
Significance: Southern Baptists remain steadfast in our belief that marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman. This is not just right but a moral good that ensures that our society flourishes. Remember, laws either encourage or discourage a distortion of God’s design. This resolution encourages a return to God’s good design for marriage, sexuality and ultimately the raising of children by a father and a mother.
Resolution 6: On Standing Against the Moral Evils and Medical Dangers of Chemical Abortion Pills. The key line in this resolution was the following resolution: That we call upon the Food and Drug Administration to immediately revoke its approval of mifepristone, restore all previously removed safety protocols, and reevaluate chemical abortion drugs using real-world data.
Significance: This drug was historically brought to market with significant safety protocols and warnings about its dangerous side-effects. With the pending overturning of Roe vs. Wade in the Dobbs Decision in 2022, the FDA removed the necessity for this drug to be administered under a doctor’s care in 2021. This resolution is a “doubling down” of our long standing commitment to the sanctity of unborn children as this drug is abortive. Additionally, many see this drug as a “work around” to the removal of abortion on demand at the national level.
Resolution 7: On Advocating for International Religious Liberty. One of the keys in this resolution was as follows: We implore Southern Baptist pastors, churches, state conventions, and entities to, whenever possible and appropriate, speak up for our brothers and sisters being persecuted at the hands of wicked governments. China, North Korea, and even countries like India are harshly persecuting people of faith and this resolution is a call for our churches to encourage America to do all it can to apply pressure on these countries to grant relief to these persecuted people.
Significance: Baptists have historically, always advocated for the state to not interfere in matters of religion. This does NOT mean that the church is unable to speak into the political realm as much of that world touches issues of morality which are very important to us. It DOES mean that we want governments to create stable cultures through righteous laws that allow us to live out the Great Commission. This resolution advances this important ideal.
Resolution 8: On Honoring the Centennial Anniversary of the Baptist Faith and Message (1925) and Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Baptist Faith and Message (2000). The Baptist Faith and Message is the statement of faith of the Southern Baptist Convention. It was adapted from the New Hampshire Confession in 1925 and then went through a significant updating in 2000. Women in ministry (only men can serve in the office of pastor), biblical inerrancy and critical issues on the family (Abortion/Gay Marriage) were addressed in this update.
Significance: The Southern Baptist Convention is a family of churches who are deeply committed to the Bible as our final authority. This resolution affirms that the BFM 2000 is a faithful summary of the teachings of the Bible. It also re-affirms our desire to be a people of conviction around a shared confession.
I hope this brief overview of the resolutions passed at the Annual Meeting this past year help you see the direction our convention is headed. I for one I’m excited about how strong our commitment remains to biblical authority in a time of cultural confusion.
Practically, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERCL) takes these resolutions and uses them as talking points with elected officials in Washington, D.C. Because they represent what we believe, they become talking points for conversation with policy makers about legislation that reflects our convictions.
The messengers at the Annual Meeting in Dallas approved eight resolutions in 2025.
Resolution 1: Appreciation for Dallas. Every year we take time to thank the city in which we meet for the Annual Meeting. We are served by thousands of staff members at the convention center, hotels, and restaurants during our stay. This resolution not only gives thanks for the host city but also encourages a gracious spirit as SBC Messengers and Guests interact with these precious people.
Significance: The SBC Annual Meeting rotates locations in an effort to engage different parts of the country. While the vast majority of our churches reside in the south, the convention regularly picks locations to make it easier for churches outside this region. For example, 2027 and 2028 will be in Indianapolis, IN and St. Louis, MO respectively.
Resolution 2: On the Centennial Celebration of the Cooperative Program. A key line from this resolution: That we affirm the Cooperative Program as a missions-funding strategy God has blessed to support and strengthen Southern Baptist efforts to share the gospel throughout the world. Our churches give to a unified giving mechanism called the Cooperative Program (CP) which funds missions, theological education and church planting. Founded in 1925, we celebrated its 100 year anniversary in a number of ways. My favorite was my friend Tony Wolfe’s (Executive Director of the South Carolina Baptist Convention) sermon on the significance of this achievement during the convention address.
Significance: While some have lost confidence in CP, it’s encouraging to see how strong the support is for it in our leadership. Our elders remain committed to giving through CP as one of the most important ways we cooperate with other Southern Baptist churches.
Resolution 3: On the Harmful and Predatory Nature of Sports Betting. Speaking of the impact of sports betting, this resolution stated the following: That we express our deep concern regarding its detrimental impact on individuals, families, and communities. This is a growing issue our convention felt the need to respond to. Sports Betting is indeed bringing ruin and devastation to countless families all over the world. It’s also being integrated into just about every level of athletics in this country.
Significance: This position reaffirms our long standing commitment to the importance of vocation and work as the means by which you not only contribute to the world but also earn a living. Gambling encourages a distortion of the value of hard work as the means by which we make money. It’s also been shown to be incredibly destructive to families.
Resolution 4: On Banning Pornography. A key line from this resolution is this: That we urge the United States Congress and state legislatures 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. Pornography is a grievous evil that has ravaged generations of people. The science is clear that it is harmful to the brains of all who consume this vile content. It’s equally clear that this industry is built on human trafficking.
Significance: This resolution directs the ERLC from a policy perspective to encourage our elected representatives in Washington D.C to make banning this harmful content a priority. It also reaffirms our long-standing opposition to this entire, multi-billion dollar industry. Sadly, many within our churches, and even our pastors, remain addicted to pornography. The only true freedom from the addiction to pornography is through Jesus Christ.
Resolution 5: On Restoring Moral Clarity through God’s Design for Gender, Marriage and Family. This resolution calls for the overturning of the Supreme Court's legalization of same sex marriage, the Obergefell Decision: That we call for the overturning of laws and court rulings, including Obergefell v. Hodges, that defy God’s design for marriage and family. That sexual intimacy should only be experienced in the confines of the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman has long been the SBC’s position. Given the overturning of nationwide abortion in the Dobbs decision, we remain hopeful that this kind of resolution encourages continued moral reform of our laws.
Significance: Southern Baptists remain steadfast in our belief that marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman. This is not just right but a moral good that ensures that our society flourishes. Remember, laws either encourage or discourage a distortion of God’s design. This resolution encourages a return to God’s good design for marriage, sexuality and ultimately the raising of children by a father and a mother.
Resolution 6: On Standing Against the Moral Evils and Medical Dangers of Chemical Abortion Pills. The key line in this resolution was the following resolution: That we call upon the Food and Drug Administration to immediately revoke its approval of mifepristone, restore all previously removed safety protocols, and reevaluate chemical abortion drugs using real-world data.
Significance: This drug was historically brought to market with significant safety protocols and warnings about its dangerous side-effects. With the pending overturning of Roe vs. Wade in the Dobbs Decision in 2022, the FDA removed the necessity for this drug to be administered under a doctor’s care in 2021. This resolution is a “doubling down” of our long standing commitment to the sanctity of unborn children as this drug is abortive. Additionally, many see this drug as a “work around” to the removal of abortion on demand at the national level.
Resolution 7: On Advocating for International Religious Liberty. One of the keys in this resolution was as follows: We implore Southern Baptist pastors, churches, state conventions, and entities to, whenever possible and appropriate, speak up for our brothers and sisters being persecuted at the hands of wicked governments. China, North Korea, and even countries like India are harshly persecuting people of faith and this resolution is a call for our churches to encourage America to do all it can to apply pressure on these countries to grant relief to these persecuted people.
Significance: Baptists have historically, always advocated for the state to not interfere in matters of religion. This does NOT mean that the church is unable to speak into the political realm as much of that world touches issues of morality which are very important to us. It DOES mean that we want governments to create stable cultures through righteous laws that allow us to live out the Great Commission. This resolution advances this important ideal.
Resolution 8: On Honoring the Centennial Anniversary of the Baptist Faith and Message (1925) and Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Baptist Faith and Message (2000). The Baptist Faith and Message is the statement of faith of the Southern Baptist Convention. It was adapted from the New Hampshire Confession in 1925 and then went through a significant updating in 2000. Women in ministry (only men can serve in the office of pastor), biblical inerrancy and critical issues on the family (Abortion/Gay Marriage) were addressed in this update.
Significance: The Southern Baptist Convention is a family of churches who are deeply committed to the Bible as our final authority. This resolution affirms that the BFM 2000 is a faithful summary of the teachings of the Bible. It also re-affirms our desire to be a people of conviction around a shared confession.
I hope this brief overview of the resolutions passed at the Annual Meeting this past year help you see the direction our convention is headed. I for one I’m excited about how strong our commitment remains to biblical authority in a time of cultural confusion.
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