SBC urges Supreme Court overturn of gay marriage ruling

Delegates to the Southern Baptist Convention on Tuesday endorsed a resolution urging the reversal of laws that go against Biblical marriage. The vote came during the convention’s annual meeting in Dallas. The resolution specifically calls out the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges that allowed same-sex couples to marry. Messengers representing Southern Baptist churches from around the world also approved a resolution reaffirming that marriage is between one man and one woman and called for laws that recognize the reality of biological gender. The resolution also pushed for laws to protect children from sexual predation, strengthen parental rights, incentivize family building, and ensure fairness in athletic competition.

What other resolutions passed during the meeting? In other resolutions, the messengers called for the complete and permanent defunding of Planned Parenthood, saying public funds should be redirected to life-affirming healthcare providers. The convention also passed resolutions condemning sports betting, calling for legislators to ban pornography, and advocating for international religious freedom.

What else happened during the convention? Delegates on Tuesday reelected Clint Pressley as SBC president after he ran against David Morrill, who is a member of Applewood Baptist Church in Colorado. The messengers also elected Daniel Ritchie of The Summit Church in Durham, N.C., as first vice president, and Craig Carlisle from the Etowah Baptist Association in Gadsen, Ala., as second vice president.

The 2025 conference marked 100 years of the SBC’s cooperative program, which allows churches to pool funds for missions, evangelism, and other national ministries. Members on Tuesday commemorated the milestone and SBC Executive Committee President Jef Iorg said Southern Baptists had contributed more than $20 billion in the last century to the program’s mission. During the opening session Tuesday, members celebrated appointing 58 new missionaries through the International Mission Board to join the more than 3,500 missionaries already serving in 155 countries. 

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report about what was on the docket for the annual conference.