{"id":20084,"date":"2026-06-12T00:30:43","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T19:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/southern-baptists-oppose-amnesty-political-violence-women-pastors-at-annual-meeting\/"},"modified":"2026-06-12T00:30:43","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T19:00:43","slug":"southern-baptists-oppose-amnesty-political-violence-women-pastors-at-annual-meeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/southern-baptists-oppose-amnesty-political-violence-women-pastors-at-annual-meeting\/","title":{"rendered":"Southern Baptists oppose amnesty, political violence, women pastors at annual meeting"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div itemprop=\"articleBody\">\n<p><iframe title=\"Everlit Audio Player\" src=\"https:\/\/everlit.audio\/embeds\/artl_AKz7lT9ld4a?client=wp&amp;client_version=3.1.5\" width=\"100%\" height=\"136px\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>(RNS) \u2014 Southern Baptists adopted a resolution on immigration at their annual meeting, affirming \u201clove of neighbor\u201d but also legal immigration enforcement.<\/p>\n<p>The resolution, one of 11 nonbinding statements adopted that gave a sense of viewpoints of those gathered at the Southern Baptist Convention\u2019s meeting in Orlando, Florida, was adopted after the denomination\u2019s public policy arm <a href=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/2025\/09\/18\/erlc-breaks-from-evangelical-immigration-table\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">broke ties<\/a> with an evangelical immigration advocacy group last September.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe reject amnesty, understood as forgiveness of legal violations without accountability,\u201d read the denomination\u2019s Wednesday (June 10) statement, which also disavowed \u201call ideologies or rhetoric that deny the equal worth and dignity of any people group regardless of immigration status.\u201d It also affirmed \u201cthat Christian compassion and hospitality do not negate lawful order or excuse indifference to public justice and social peace.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Before a vote, the statement prompted questions on the floor of the Orange County Convention Center, including from Kyle Stachewicz, lead pastor of a Reedsburg, Wisconsin, church. He said some of its language would convey to young adults carried across the border at a young age and later baptized in a Southern Baptist church \u201cthat we see no distinction between them and someone who willfully broke the law as an adult.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He added: \u201cI fear that not recognizing this will close doors to gospel ministry in immigrant communities at the exact moment that we are asking Southern Baptist churches to strengthen such ministry as this resolution calls us to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In a departure from past resolutions dating back to 2006, the new statement, which was presented by the SBC resolutions committee, does not mention a path to legal status for immigrants.<i> <\/i><\/p>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<div class=\"rns-gallery-host\"><rns-gallery data-layout-style=\"embed\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"gallery-slides\">\n                    <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"4263419\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"middle-center-text\" data-type=\"image\" data-embed-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando28-061026.jpg\" data-fullscreen-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando28-061026.jpg\" data-is-title-card=\"true\"><\/p>\n<p>By Mary Gladstone \u00b7 June 10, 2026<\/p>\n<p>                    <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>                        <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"middle-center-text\" data-type=\"text\" data-embed-src=\"\" data-fullscreen-src=\"\" style=\"display: none\"><br \/>\n                        The Southern Baptist Convention\u2019s annual meeting gathered June 8-10, 2026, in Orlando, Fla.<br \/>\n                        <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>                        <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"4263419\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"bottom-right-text\" data-type=\"image\" data-embed-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando28-061026.jpg\" data-fullscreen-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando28-061026.jpg\" style=\"display: none\"><br \/>\n                        Messengers vote during the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. (RNS photo\/Bob Smietana)<br \/>\n                        <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>                        <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"4263368\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"bottom-right-text\" data-type=\"image\" data-embed-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando07-060926.jpg\" data-fullscreen-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando07-060926.jpg\" style=\"display: none\"><br \/>\n                        People mingle during the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Orlando. (RNS photo\/Marty Jean-Louis)<br \/>\n                        <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>                        <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"4263271\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"bottom-right-text\" data-type=\"image\" data-embed-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Willy-Rice-SBC-2026.jpg\" data-fullscreen-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Willy-Rice-SBC-2026.jpg\" style=\"display: none\"><br \/>\n                        Willy Rice, pastor of Calvary Church in Clearwater, Fla., in a sermon at the 2026 SBC Pastors\u2019 Conference on June 8, 2026, in Orlando. (Photo by Luc Stringer\/Baptist Press)<br \/>\n                        <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>                        <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"4263386\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"bottom-right-text\" data-type=\"image\" data-embed-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando26-060926.jpg\" data-fullscreen-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando26-060926.jpg\" style=\"display: none\"><br \/>\n                        The Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. (RNS photo\/Marty Jean-Louis)<br \/>\n                        <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>                        <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"4263374\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"bottom-right-text\" data-type=\"image\" data-embed-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando13-060926.jpg\" data-fullscreen-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando13-060926.jpg\" style=\"display: none\"><br \/>\n                        Thousands of messengers attend the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Orlando. (RNS photo\/Marty Jean-Louis)<br \/>\n                        <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>                        <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"4263382\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"bottom-right-text\" data-type=\"image\" data-embed-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando22-060926.jpg\" data-fullscreen-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando22-060926.jpg\" style=\"display: none\"><br \/>\n                        The exhibit hall during the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. (RNS photo\/Marty Jean-Louis)<br \/>\n                        <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>                        <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"4263378\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"bottom-right-text\" data-type=\"image\" data-embed-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando17-060926.jpg\" data-fullscreen-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando17-060926.jpg\" style=\"display: none\"><br \/>\n                        Thousands of people attend the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. (RNS photo\/Marty Jean-Louis)<br \/>\n                        <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>                        <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"4263376\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"bottom-right-text\" data-type=\"image\" data-embed-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando15-060926.jpg\" data-fullscreen-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando15-060926.jpg\" style=\"display: none\"><br \/>\n                        President Clint Pressley at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Orlando. (RNS photo\/Marty Jean-Louis)<br \/>\n                        <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>                        <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"4263384\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"bottom-right-text\" data-type=\"image\" data-embed-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando24-060926.jpg\" data-fullscreen-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando24-060926.jpg\" style=\"display: none\"><br \/>\n                        Attendees at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. (RNS photo\/Marty Jean-Louis)<br \/>\n                        <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>                        <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"4263320\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"bottom-right-text\" data-type=\"image\" data-embed-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando06-060926.jpg\" data-fullscreen-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando06-060926.jpg\" style=\"display: none\"><br \/>\n                        Attendees hold up their ballots while voting on a motion during the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Orlando. (AP Photo\/Phelan M. Ebenhack)<br \/>\n                        <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>                        <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"4263380\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"bottom-right-text\" data-type=\"image\" data-embed-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando19-060926.jpg\" data-fullscreen-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando19-060926.jpg\" style=\"display: none\"><br \/>\n                        Attendees visit the exhibit hall during the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. (RNS photo\/Marty Jean-Louis)<br \/>\n                        <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>                        <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"4263265\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"bottom-right-text\" data-type=\"image\" data-embed-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando05-060926.jpg\" data-fullscreen-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando05-060926.jpg\" style=\"display: none\"><br \/>\n                        People attend the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Orlando. (RNS photo\/Bob Smietana)<br \/>\n                        <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>                        <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"4263262\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"bottom-right-text\" data-type=\"image\" data-embed-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando02-060926.jpg\" data-fullscreen-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando02-060926.jpg\" style=\"display: none\"><br \/>\n                        Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., speaks from the floor during the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Orlando. (RNS photo\/Bob Smietana)<br \/>\n                        <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>                        <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"4263420\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"bottom-right-text\" data-type=\"image\" data-embed-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando29-061026.jpg\" data-fullscreen-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando29-061026.jpg\" style=\"display: none\"><br \/>\n                        Messengers vote during the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. (RNS photo\/Bob Smietana)<br \/>\n                        <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>                        <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"4263385\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"bottom-right-text\" data-type=\"image\" data-embed-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando25-060926.jpg\" data-fullscreen-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando25-060926.jpg\" style=\"display: none\"><br \/>\n                        Attendees visit during the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. (RNS photo\/Marty Jean-Louis)<br \/>\n                        <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>                        <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"4263264\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"bottom-right-text\" data-type=\"image\" data-embed-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando04-060926.jpg\" data-fullscreen-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando04-060926.jpg\" style=\"display: none\"><br \/>\n                        The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee meets Monday, June 8, 2026, in Orlando. (RNS photo\/Bob Smietana)<br \/>\n                        <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>                        <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"4263383\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"bottom-right-text\" data-type=\"image\" data-embed-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando23-060926.jpg\" data-fullscreen-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando23-060926.jpg\" style=\"display: none\"><br \/>\n                        Attendees visit the exhibit hall during the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. (RNS photo\/Marty Jean-Louis)<br \/>\n                        <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>                        <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"4263381\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"bottom-right-text\" data-type=\"image\" data-embed-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando21-060926.jpg\" data-fullscreen-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando21-060926.jpg\" style=\"display: none\"><br \/>\n                        The exhibit hall during the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. (RNS photo\/Marty Jean-Louis)<br \/>\n                        <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>                        <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"4263379\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"bottom-right-text\" data-type=\"image\" data-embed-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando18-060926.jpg\" data-fullscreen-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando18-060926.jpg\" style=\"display: none\"><br \/>\n                        Attendees visit the exhibit hall during the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. (RNS photo\/Marty Jean-Louis)<br \/>\n                        <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>                        <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"4263373\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"bottom-right-text\" data-type=\"image\" data-embed-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando12-060926.jpg\" data-fullscreen-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando12-060926.jpg\" style=\"display: none\"><br \/>\n                        Thousands of messengers attend the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Orlando. (RNS photo\/Marty Jean-Louis)<br \/>\n                        <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>                        <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"4263371\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"bottom-right-text\" data-type=\"image\" data-embed-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando10-060926.jpg\" data-fullscreen-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando10-060926.jpg\" style=\"display: none\"><br \/>\n                        Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary President Daniel Akin speaks at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Orlando. (RNS photo\/Marty Jean-Louis)<br \/>\n                        <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>                        <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"4263418\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"bottom-right-text\" data-type=\"image\" data-embed-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando27-061026.jpg\" data-fullscreen-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando27-061026.jpg\" style=\"display: none\"><br \/>\n                        President Clint Pressley, on video screen, calls a vote during the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. (RNS photo\/Bob Smietana)<br \/>\n                        <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>                        <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"4263263\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"bottom-right-text\" data-type=\"image\" data-embed-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando03-060926.jpg\" data-fullscreen-src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando03-060926.jpg\" style=\"display: none\"><br \/>\n                        People attend the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Orlando. (RNS photo\/Bob Smietana)<br \/>\n                        <\/rns-gallery-slide><\/p>\n<p>            <rns-gallery-slide data-attachment-id=\"\" data-text-color=\"#ffffff\" data-background-color=\"#000000\" data-text-position=\"middle-center-text\" data-type=\"text\" data-is-end-card=\"true\" style=\"display: none;\"><br \/>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.religionnews.com\" class=\"logo-link\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/rns-photo-gallery\/rnslogofullwhite.svg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>            <\/rns-gallery-slide>\n        <\/div>\n<p><\/rns-gallery><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><strong>RELATED<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/2026\/06\/09\/willy-rice-florida-pastor-and-abuse-crisis-skeptic-wins-sbc-presidential-election\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Willy Rice, Florida pastor and abuse crisis skeptic, elected SBC president<\/a><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p>\u201cOne of the tremendous problems is that the system\u2019s been overwhelmed by just the sheer number of people who have come over,\u201d Hunter Baker, chair of the committee, said at a news conference after the resolutions were considered. \u201cYou don\u2019t have an adequate judicial apparatus or regulatory apparatus to give everybody due process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As a result, he said, immigrants are left not knowing where they stand.<\/p>\n<p>The slate of resolutions, most of which were adopted on Wednesday, the second day of the two-day meeting, included one that adds to their yearslong discussion of women pastors.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier in the day, messengers, or church delegates to the conference, <a href=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/2026\/06\/10\/southern-baptists-pass-a-ban-on-women-pastors-again-this-time-they-hope-it-sticks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">adopted a measure<\/a> called the Truth and Unity Amendment in a first step to have the SBC constitution bar churches that have women pastors or permit women to preach on Sunday mornings. The amendment was proposed by Al Mohler, president of the flagship Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.<\/p>\n<p>The related resolution, titled \u201cOn the Office and Function of Pastor\/Elder\/Overseer,\u201d states that the Southern Baptist messengers \u201creaffirm that the office of pastor\/elder\/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture\u201d and \u201caffirm that the New Testament presents the pastoral office and the function of pastoral oversight of the church as inseparably connected.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4263370\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 750px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4263370\" src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando09-060926.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando09-060926.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando09-060926-427x285.jpg 427w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando09-060926-807x538.jpg 807w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando09-060926-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando09-060926-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando09-060926-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando09-060926-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando09-060926-380x253.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\"\/> <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text edd-enabled\"><span class=\"caption\">Al Mohler addresses the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (RNS photo\/Marty Jean-Louis)<\/span><span class=\"credit\"\/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Citing confusion in some SBC congregations, it urged churches to not use the titles \u201cpastor,\u201d \u201coverseer\u201d and \u201celder\u201d for nonpastoral offices and to \u201ccontinue affirming and deploying women in biblically faithful ways.\u201d The statement expressed gratitude for the \u201cindispensable service\u201d of women across Southern Baptist life, such as in missions work and evangelism.<\/p>\n<p>The Baptists also condemned political violence, citing recent \u201cassassinations and attempted assassinations of public figures, the harassment and even murder of fellow citizens in houses of worship, vandalism of crisis pregnancy centers, and public mayhem that sows chaos and destruction.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>William Wolfe, a messenger from a Fort Mill, South Carolina, church and executive director of the Center for Baptist Leadership, unsuccessfully sought to add wording to the resolution about Charlie Kirk, the evangelical Christian activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA who was assassinated last September.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn 2018, the SBC passed a resolution specifically mentioning the assassination of MLK Jr., and if we can name MLK Jr., we can name Charlie Kirk,\u201d said Wolfe, a former Trump administration official, in a reference to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.<\/p>\n<p>But the resolutions committee opposed Wolfe\u2019s proposed amendment. During a press conference, committee member Ryan Helfenbein, who said he was a close friend of Kirk\u2019s, said that the whole committee felt the loss of Kirk but wanted to address the bigger issue of political violence.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4263693\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 750px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4263693\" src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Resolutions1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"421\" srcset=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Resolutions1.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Resolutions1-427x240.jpg 427w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Resolutions1-807x453.jpg 807w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Resolutions1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Resolutions1-1536x863.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Resolutions1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Resolutions1-600x337.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\"\/> <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text edd-enabled\"><span class=\"caption\">Members of the 2026 SBC Committee on Resolutions, including Jeremy Pierre, from left, Hunter Baker, Evan Lenow and Ryan Helfenbein, hold a press conference June 10, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (RNS photo\/Bob Smietana)<\/span><span class=\"credit\"\/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Baker echoed that sentiment, citing the assassination attempts that targeted President Donald Trump as well as the <a href=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/2025\/06\/17\/christ-for-the-nations-institute-denounces-alleged-violent-acts-by-graduate-vance-boelter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fatal ambush<\/a> last year of <span>Melissa Hortman,<\/span> a Democratic state representative in Minnesota, along with the death of Kirk. \u201cWe wanted to capture the broader phenomenon,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The resolution called on Southern Baptists to analyze their public speech and online content, treat others as neighbors rather than enemies and reject the idea that their foremost identity is their political affiliation rather than their Christian commitment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe reject any claim that righteous ends justify unrighteous means,\u201d it stated.<\/p>\n<p>In a separate resolution, Southern Baptists reiterated that they \u201cunequivocally condemn this new surge of antisemitism in all its forms, including violence, cultural hatred, and conspiracy theories of Jewish controlled cabals, as sinful, unchristian, and an assault on both biblical truth and basic human dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pastor Stephen Feinstein of a Southern Baptist church in Hesperia, California, urged passage of the resolution on antisemitism.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you do not believe that antisemitism is rising in our society, you aren\u2019t paying attention,\u201d said Feinstein, whose church website describes him as a Christian convert who is the son of a Jewish father and a Roman Catholic mother. \u201cMy youngest daughter asked me if we could change her last name. My name is Feinstein. You shouldn\u2019t have to have your daughter ask that kind of question.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4263420\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 750px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4263420\" src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando29-061026.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando29-061026.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando29-061026-427x285.jpg 427w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando29-061026-807x538.jpg 807w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando29-061026-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando29-061026-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando29-061026-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando29-061026-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-SBC-Orlando29-061026-380x253.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\"\/> <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text edd-enabled\"><span class=\"caption\">Messengers vote during the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. (RNS photo\/Bob Smietana)<\/span><span class=\"credit\"\/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Another resolution said that using digital technology for worship should not take the place of in-person services for all who are able. The statement, titled \u201cOn the Nature and Importance of the Physically Gathered Church in a Digital Age,\u201d also affirmed in-person baptism and Communion rather than \u201cvirtual or digitally mediated substitutes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, the Southern Baptists approved a resolution about the 250th anniversary of the country and religious liberty, acknowledging \u201csins such as slavery, racism, abortion, injustice, and sexual immorality\u201d in the country\u2019s history. It noted that despite failings the country had ended slavery within its borders and defended freedom from threats of communism abroad.<\/p>\n<p>They added: \u201cwe call upon Southern Baptists to pursue national renewal through biblically informed civic engagement, including advocating for just laws that are rooted in God\u2019s natural law and consistent with the witness of holy Scripture, and electing public officials who will do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another adopted resolution expressed appreciation for bivocational and volunteer pastors who work in other jobs while serving local congregations. Yet another encouraged all Southern Baptist congregations to expand their inclusion of children and adults with disabilities, including identifying barriers to physical access to enable families to participate in church.<\/p>\n<p>One measure reaffirmed their opposition to assisted suicide, as more states have legalized the practice, and urged policymakers and medical practitioners to prioritize care such as hospice, palliative support and effective pain management.<\/p>\n<p>And a resolution, passed in light of attention given to pastors and other ministry leaders embroiled in scandal, expressed gratitude for those who \u201clabored faithfully over many years and finished well, keeping the faith and maintaining a testimony above reproach to the end.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>RNS national reporter Bob Smietana contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><strong>RELATED: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/2026\/06\/05\/meet-the-pastors-who-support-ice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Meet the pastors who support the ICE raids<\/a><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 -->\n        <\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/2026\/06\/11\/southern-baptists-oppose-amnesty-political-violence-women-pastors-in-resolutions\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(RNS) \u2014 Southern Baptists adopted a resolution on immigration at their annual meeting, affirming \u201clove of neighbor\u201d but also legal immigration enforcement. The resolution, one of 11 nonbinding statements adopted that gave a sense of viewpoints of those gathered at the Southern Baptist Convention\u2019s meeting in Orlando, Florida, was adopted after the denomination\u2019s public policy [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20085,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20084","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20084"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20084\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20085"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}