SBC President Clint Pressley.
What an honor and privilege it has been for me to serve you as president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). As I have traveled this year, hearing from and representing Southern Baptists across our nation, it has confirmed what I already knew to be true: It is good to be a Southern Baptist.
That’s why I look forward to gathering with you in Dallas for the 2025 annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention. While there’s no question we will have important business to attend to, we will have a lot to celebrate too. We have reasons to rejoice as Southern Baptists, and I hope you come ready to thank God for His evident goodness. Here are a few things I’m looking forward to in Dallas.
Celebrating a century of grace
This year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Baptist Faith and Message and the Cooperative Program. This is no small thing. I’ve shared before that if the SBC were a train, then the twin rails upon which it runs are our confession and cooperation. Our confession has held us together and fueled our cooperation, which has made possible the largest mission sending agency and six of the largest seminaries in history. We have reason to celebrate.
That’s why our theme for the 2025 annual meeting is “Hold Fast,” from Hebrews 10:23-24: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir one another to love and good works.” We will set aside time Tuesday and Wednesday to thank God for this century of grace and ask Him to help us hold fast in the years ahead.
Celebrating a year of grace
We will also hear reports that ought to make you proud to be a Southern Baptist. Lifeway reports that average worship attendance in our churches is up 253,957 (6.27%) and average small group attendance is up 137,873 (5.68%), according to 2024 Annual Church Profile (ACP) data.
They report baptisms are up 10%, and the North American Mission Board (NAMB) says 767 new Southern Baptist churches were planted last year.
The International Mission Board (IMB) will report three record years of Lottie Moon Christmas Offering totals and a missionary candidate pipeline reaching a 20-year high of 1,600. It really has been a year of grace.
If that weren’t reason enough to celebrate, we’ll commission 65 fully funded missionaries during our IMB Sending Celebration on Tuesday morning. When I first began attending annual meetings in the early 1990s, nothing made me prouder to be a Southern Baptist than these sending celebrations. Don’t miss it.
Please pray for me as I come to mind – that I might moderate our annual meeting and represent our convention well. I’m praying for you as you serve your churches and make final plans to gather next week in Dallas. I look forward to seeing you then as together we celebrate why it’s good to be a Southern Baptist.
