GUEST: TOM ASCOL, senior pastor, Grace Baptist Church (FL)
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is the largest Protestant church denomination in North America, with six seminaries, 47,000 churches, 14 million church members, and affiliate entities in 41 states. Some of the largest churches and most influential pastors in America are part of the SBC, including Rick Warren, Ed Young, Kerry Shook, Jack Graham, Jonathan Falwell, Matt Chandler, and Steven Furtick.
Because of its size, one could say, “As the Southern Baptist Convention goes, so goes Evangelicalism in the U.S.” In other words, the doctrinal stances of the SBC and the pastors it educates at its seminaries will likely trickle down to a church near you.
Which is why we are going to recap some of the most noteworthy events at this year’s SBC Annual Meeting which just took place in Nashville, TN. Member churches can send up to 12 attendees or “messengers” to participate in the annual meeting, which includes voting on resolutions and leadership for the SBC.
One of those messengers was Tom Ascol, pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Cape Cora, FL. He is also the president of Founders Ministries, which produced an excellent documentary on the 2019 SBC Annual Meeting, highlighting a resolution made on critical race theory (CRT).
Tom will explain some of the key moments of the Annual Meeting, including the election of a new SBC president, pastor Ed Litton, who came out on top over Mike Stone and Albert Mohler (who is the president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary).
Whether you’re Southern Baptist or not, please join us to discern the direction of this influential organization, and more broadly, Evangelicalism in America.
