2026 SBC Annual Meeting

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Clint Pressley moves easily between different worlds. In a typical week, the pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Charlotte may preach multiple sermons at two campuses, work through a stack of books, counsel a younger pastor facing a difficult ministry decision and spend time working out in the backyard gym he built himself. Those rhythms offer insight into the man who has served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) for the past two years.

NASHVILLE (BP) – Later this month, for the first time, Southern Baptists will have a chance to adopt a budget that will send 51 percent of all Cooperative Program receipts to the foreign mission field. IMB President Paul Chitwood said the move shows global missions is a “first priority” for Southern Baptists.

NASHVILLE (BP) – Tom Stolle had been praying daily for 10 years that God would stir Southern Baptists to heightened passion for disability ministries. That’s when SBC Executive Committee President Jeff Iorg called and asked Stolle to pray about chairing the Disability Ministry Task Force.

NASHVILLE (BP) – The slate of resolutions for the 2026 Southern Baptist Convention has been released by the committee appointed by SBC President Clint Pressley. The group has released resolutions dealing with current SBC topics such as the office of the pastor and disability ministry along with cultural topics like immigration, political violence and artificial intelligence.

ORLANDO (BP) – Messengers to the SBC Annual Meeting will be faced with dozens of decisions and much discussion. The Worship Initiative is offering a resource leaders hope will help prepare the hearts of those decision makers as they travel to the meeting.

The event will address online exploitation, sexual abuse prevention, survivor care, human trafficking and ministry safeguarding, organizers said, and also show churches how to compassionately and ethically protect the vulnerable. 

ORLANDO (BP) – Two candidates have announced their willingness to be nominated for the office of president of the Southern Baptist Convention– Florida pastor Willy Rice and South Carolina pastor Josh Powell. Powell will be nominated by Tennessee pastor Jay Hardwick. Rice announced his candidacy in an online video; it is unknown who his nominator will be.

ORLANDO (BP) – Crossover leaders are calling on others to begin the work of Southern Baptists’ pre-Annual Meeting evangelistic outreach 10 days before volunteers descend on the greater Orlando area.

ORLANDO (BP) – Judging by the response, a new feature to the Pastors’ Conference preceding the SBC Annual Meeting may become permanent.

I will never forget my first conversation with Tom Stolle. I know exactly where I was – driving through West Los Angeles in February 2023. I had to pull over as tears streamed down my face.