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JACKSON, Tenn. — June 15, 2018 — This week, I attended the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas, Texas. I represented 51����. More importantly, I served as a messenger (think, “delegate”) from First Baptist Church, Jackson.

There’s been a lot of talk in the press about goings on recently in the SBC. The chief executive officer of the Executive Committee of the SBC resigned a few months ago because of a “moral failing.” Trustees at one of the SBC’s six seminaries, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, recently fired their president, Paige Patterson, in what was a very public and very ugly series of events. These and other embarrassing events have caused many to want to jump the Southern Baptist ship. I get that. I’ve gone to the annual meeting for years, but this year I dreaded going more than ever.

I am a convictional Baptist. I have chosen to be a Baptist as a matter of doctrine. The Baptist denomination is one of one of several denominations that is good and faithful. For me, there are particular things that I believe the Bible teaches that cause me to be a Baptist.

In addition to being a Baptist, I am a specific kind of Baptist — a Southern Baptist. If being a Baptist is a matter of doctrine, being a Southern Baptist is a matter of organization. I choose to collaborate with Southern Baptists because of the cooperating organization that over 47,000 SBC churches have.

Southern Baptists are not a perfect people. However, I came away from this year’s convention optimistic about several things.

• Integrity — Through actions at the convention, the SBC set the bar where it should be and insisted that leaders exemplify the highest forms of integrity. Positions of leadership should not be bestowed without expectations of sterling character and moral excellence. Indeed, as goes the leader, so goes the organization.

• Leadership — J.D. Greear, pastor of The Summit Church in Durham, North Carolina, was elected president. J.D.’s theological convictions, pastoral commitments, global efforts and personal qualities signal the dawn of a needed and new day in the SBC.

• Motions — A motion can be made, but it does not have to be implemented. I was encouraged that a motion was made requesting that the vice president of the United States, Mike Pence, not speak at the convention. After all, we are a religious body, not a political body. I, along with others, voted my opinion, but the convention voted to allow Pence to speak. Some motions pass, some fail. In the end, I am thankful that each Southern Baptist has a voice — and that all those voices don’t sound the same.

• Resolutions — The proof always shows in the pudding, and we should watch the actions that follow resolutions. In the midst of the national #MeToo movement, the SBC’s clear and unwavering resolutions concerning the dignity and worth of women and the full dignity of all human beings were good and needed words. As Russell Moore of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission has said, “Churches need to realize that abuse is not a PR issue to be managed. It must be dealt with open and honestly.”

• Mission — The ERLC is just one agency among us that is doing good work. It is committed to engaging the culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ and speaking to issues in the public square for the protection of religious liberty and human flourishing. After the International Mission Board’s Tuesday night sending service of 79 people who are preparing to live in countries throughout the world as missionaries, I spoke with a recent college graduate who is heading to Southeast Asia for two years to serve as a missionary. Ubering back to my hotel, I was encouraged as I thought about the fact that this is what we as Southern Baptists are about.

For years, I’ve been concerned that some see Southern Baptists as those who are more about what we are against than about what we are for. I’m glad that’s seemingly becoming less and less the case. Most of my Southern Baptist friends are more interested in walking after the Lord and living with conviction and purpose than in propping up their grandfathers’ denomination.

For these reasons, I am hopeful.