SBC: Déjà vu, all over again?
This is one of those years the denomination will see a lot of change at the top. New heads are expected at Lifeway Christian Resources and Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, which are being led by interim presidents, and at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Woman’s Missionary Union, where President Danny Akin and Executive Director Sandy Wisdom-Martin respectively have announced their retirements in 2026. (It’s also noteworthy that Illinois had two natives in leadership with Wisdom-Martin and Lifeway’s Ben Mandrell.)
More likely to signal change is the election of a new SBC President to succeed Clint Pressley after two terms. Florida pastor Willy Rice, briefly a candidate in 2024, has announced plans to run. He supported the proposed Law Amendment which would have constitutionally forbidden women in cooperating churches to hold pastoral positions, and he supported abolishing the ERLC. Both motions failed. Other candidates are also being mentioned online, ahead of the usual February or March declarations.
WATCH: Will the 2026 SBC meeting in Orlando field candidates who want to debate again issues that seemed settled in multiple previous votes?
Signs of revival
The reports don’t agree. Evangelists and church leaders say there was a spiritual awakening among young men even before the death of Christian political activist Charlie Kirk. Starting with the Asbury College revival, and outdoor baptisms in California, awakening continues in conservative churches with a strong campus focus.
But Pew Research says not so much. At least not verifiably. And definitely not among young women, who Pew says are leaving church in record numbers.
But don’t give up hope.
Generation Alpha, now coming of age, is as open to spiritual issues as any generation in a long time. And pastors reaching them say these teens are serious. It’s not about pizza parties. It’s about Jesus.
WATCH: Revival follows repentance, and is followed by a new generation of preachers reaching their peers. It’s been a long time since a young Billy Graham stepped up. Look for churches that call up the newly called.
How long, O Lord?
The tome War and Peace is not finished, nor will it be until Christ returns. But we can pray for cessation of the current conflicts. At issue, will the Trump Administration-brokered agreement to end hostilities in Gaza hold? Will the governing body be established as planned and prevent renewed Hamas attacks. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee predicted a Middle East reset, but that remains a tall order.
WATCH: Same story for Ukraine and Russia. Can peace be negotiated? As a former missionary said, Watch what happens in the church when refugees from the conflict return home. There may be gospel opportunities in a season of rebuilding.
Rising anti-Semitism
With a Hanukkah beach party massacre in Australia as the latest example, the tide of attacks on Jews rises, and it’s not only among terrorist groups.
“We saw this in the explosion on college campuses after Oct. 7 two years ago” among left-wing political activists, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., told Baptist Press. “We have seen it now rise on the right just in social media posts and people promoting more antisemitic tropes. That is very concerning.”
Anti-Jewish hate crimes increased 63% percent in the U.S. from 2023-2024, and one-third of American Jews report being targeted, the FBI said. “There seem to be waves of antisemitism throughout history,” ERLC Interim President Gary Hollingsworth said, “and unfortunately, we may be at a crest of one of those waves right now. How much of that is right-wing antisemitism versus left-wing antisemitism is impossible to tell. Regardless, Southern Baptists should oppose it—as they always have.”
WATCH: Will SBC messengers address this issue before the base?
Chilling effect
Large-scale ICE interdictions have moved on to Baltimore and New York. Reportedly New Orleans is next. In Chicago where operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement commanded the streets and headlines during the fall, churches seeking to reach ethnic groups talk about a residual effect. Most obvious is the reluctance of immigrants to attend ministry functions. While mainline clergy joined protests outside the Broadview ICE facility, Baptist leaders say they are continuing compassion ministry such as food banks in mostly Hispanic neighborhoods.
WATCH: Look for any shift in church planting and gospel opportunities with ethnic groups in Chicagoland, which have often been among Baptists’ most fruitful fields.