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“And a new spirit I will put within you . . . And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes and be careful to obey My decrees” (Ezek 36:26-27).

I stopped attending the Southern Baptist Convention after the depressing loss we conservatives suffered at Indy in ‘24. 

Now, to be sure, we had some wins too. We disfellowshipped two churches that had female pastors on staff, once of which was world famous Saddleback Church started by Rick Warren. 

The other church we disfellowshipped that year was in Louisville, KY. And their pastor, a woman, made a defense of the standard evangelical feminist (egalitarian) position before the entire convention. That position, which rests upon atrocious hermeneutics (interpretive principles), is one Southern Baptists have rejected since our inception 180 years ago.  I admit it was surreal.

Surely, I thought, this would open eyes all around our convention of churches. After all, I rarely meet a Southern Baptist pastor or church member who supports the unbiblical notion of female pastors / elders. And, frankly, that’s part of the problem. Most SBC churches are in small towns in the Southeast and Mid-West and cannot afford to send a messenger (much less messengers) for 3-4 days in Dallas, or Anaheim. Decisions are being made by the messengers actually present in the convention hall each year. Whether we like it or not, some of the larger and wealthier SBC churches may well lean more left, more progressive (just another word for liberal). 

It’s depressing sometimes. And after five years of fighting against the incursion of woke ideologies, Christianized versions of the #MeToo Movement, and outright rejection of biblical authority, I gave up. Or, more accurately, I refocused. And led our church to do likewise. 

Like many other Bible-loving SBC pastors, I found a like-minded cooperative network of churches with which to happily link arms to take the gospel to neighbors and nations near and far. For us, at Corydon Baptist Church, that was, and is, the Immanuel Network (https://www.immanuelnetwork.org/). We love it and we’re all in for God’s global glory! And, we’re still focused on our local Southern Baptist Association here in Southeastern Indiana, which we also love (SEIBA). Having settled into that glorious routine, I did not anticipate attending the SBC in Orlando last week. 

Then, sometime in May, I think, Dr. Albert Mohler introduced the Truth & Unity Amendment, which was almost immediately branded “The Mohler Amendment.” It was yet another attempt to codify in the SBC Constitution that churches with female pastors are not in friendly cooperation with our convention. And if anyone could galvanize the conservative vote, it would be Dr. Mohler. He was my seminary President and I have long-respected him, as do many others.

I boarded a plan last week to Orlando. My fellow pastor and his wife made the long drive. 

For the benefit of the church I love and serve, I want to offer my thoughts in summary fashion regarding the Orlando Convention. I realize tons of voices bark about the SBC, many of which are from outside the SBC, and many of which have proven over the years they are either completely anti-SBC and think it can do no good, or are hopelessly skeptical of the SBC. Conspiracy theories and negative Nancy’s are clickbait. And while my observations are not infallible, they are at least those of an insider, having been SBC my entire life, and a messenger who was actually in the room last week in Orlando. So, here goes:

The Need for the Mohler Amendment

Before giving some observations, perhaps it is useful to remind readers why I, and thousands of others in the SBC, believe a Constitutional Amendment was, and is, needed. After all, doesn’t the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 (our Doctrinal Confession) already state that the office of pastor is reserved for men as qualified by Scripture? 

Yes. It does. And in a perfect world that would be enough. But, from time-to-time certain unbiblical forces and movements creep into the Church and begin to hold significant influence. These ideological movements usually start in the culture, and weasel their way into churches and denominational structures (which are often macrocosms of local churches). This isn’t new. Read Paul’s Epistles! Read 2 John! Read Jude! Read Revelation!   

The opposition to amendments such as the Mohler Amendment has come from three camps within the SBC. Camp #1 – Evangelical Feminists / Egalitarians. This camp simply rejects the plain meaning and teaching of Scripture, such as we see in 1 Tim 2:11-15, and embraces women as pastors / elders / overseers in the Church. Camp #2 – “Soft” Complementarians. This camp tries to find middle ground by claiming women cannot be Senior or Lead Pastors, but may otherwise serve in Associate Pastor roles, or fulfill the functions of pastors. This camp plays semantics, calling women “Ministers” or “Directors” when they know full well those sisters are actually doing the work the Bible would define and rope off for only pastors. Camp #3 – Biblical Complementarians. This camp holds to biblical, Christ-like male headship, especially in the home and church. No shock this is my camp. And Dr. Mohler’s camp. 

So, the battle for the last five years’ worth of conventions has required those of us in Camp #3 to ward off two opposing camps! Claims that women pastors were not really that prevalent in the SBC got put to bed by social media braggarts like Beth Moore, as well as by actual female pastors standing at microphones on our convention floors! And, other pastors such as Mike Law and Tom Buck have helped expose the reality of hundreds, perhaps thousands of SBC churches with women pastors (either by title or function). The ongoing exposure of Camp #1s existence has really helped a good number in Camp #2 realize the scope of the problem. Some have now joined Camp #3. Praise God! 

Some have continued, however, to argue that an actual Amendment is not necessary because we already have mechanisms in place to disfellowship churches with female pastors when / if needed. And we have done so even recently. This argument was made yet again on the floor at Orlando, when the Mohler Amendment was debated. But it was clear this year that the vast majority of messengers had come to realize the magnitude of this issue. We’d have to do a lot of disfellowshipping for many years to come. But, it’s not just the prevalence of SBC churches with female pastors in title or function, it’s also the obvious trajectory of other denominations who compromised on this very issue. Just ask the apostate PC-USA or UMC or UCC.  

Turns out, women pastors is a gateway drug. If not mortified, it leads to the methamphetamine of a host of liberal compromises. The rainbow stoles await. 

So, praise God after five years of making our arguments, and led this time by Dr. Mohler, the amendment passed by nearly 75%. Now, it has to pass again next year in Indy. Pray and go!     

A New Spirit

My summary is simple. I sensed a new spirit in Orlando. The entire tone of the convention was different than previous ones I attended (2019-2024). Two years of Clint Pressley’s conservative presidency have been good for us. His convention sermon was an actual sermon. Not a bash those who don’t like me or agree with me session, like I heard from former presidents Greear and Litton. His message from Ephesians 4:1-3 emphasized true biblical unity. Hallelujah! 

When debate happened, it was minimal, cordial, and nearly always pertaining to matters of polity, not doctrine. Nobody stood up this year to defend unbiblical practices. God is good. 

Reports from entity heads were focused on the Great Commission, planting churches, seeing souls saved, raising up godly leaders, serving the needy, taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. Very little emphasis upon litigation. Very little talking down to messengers from the platform (which had become a hallmark under Greear and Litton). Glory to God!     

The resolutions we passed were solid. Never perfect, of course. And there’s always a word or phrase or two I might personally quibble over or change. But, all-in-all, very good. Resolutions aren’t binding on any churches. They are just a way for the SBC to address various “hot button” issues in what we believe are biblical ways. You can read them here: https://sbcannualmeeting.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-Proposed-Resolutions.pdf

We elected Willy Rice as President. While I think both candidates were godly men, I personally voted for Pastor Willy Rice. He did what few others have done in recent years. He admitted that he had been deceived in previous years. He once thought we conservatives were exaggerating the influence and incursion of liberal / progressive thought into SBC life. But he repented and asked forgiveness and promised to seek God’s grace to lead the SBC back to biblical fidelity and spiritual renewal by the power of Holy Spirit God applying the inerrant, sufficient Word of God. His humility and passion for renewal are refreshing. Listen to his sermon at the Pastor’s Conference here: https://youtu.be/SrWD6-FSf8c?is=-dVJuqPqPUoQjmBF  

Now, may we remain vigilant in doctrine and life. May the Lord give us strength to keep up the good fight of faith in the SBC. Doctrinal error and wolves in sheep’s clothing will be with us until Christ returns. Lord, forgive me for nearly giving up. Fill me with your Spirit. Renew me in your strength. Guide the leaders and churches of the SBC into deeper biblical obedience and fidelity. For the global glory of Jesus Christ in the Gospel, let the Church be reformed, ever reforming.  

Today, my Dad would have been 80. But, he’s now in the realm of the ageless. Dad fought in the 1980s to help rescue the SBC from the clutches of liberalism. The legacy he and others gave us is called “The Conservative Resurgence.” May God help us honor this legacy. May we pass it on intact to our children. Jesus is worthy. He doesn’t need the SBC. We need Him!