Mission and Vision

Purpose

… eliciting, combining, and directing the energies of the Baptist denomination of Christians, for the propagation of the gospel, any law, usage, or custom to the contrary notwithstanding.

– Charter of the Southern Baptist Convention, December 27, 1845

Mission Statement

As a convention of churches, our missional vision is to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every person in the world and to make disciples of all the nations.

– Adopted by the messengers to the 2010 Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando, Florida on June 15, 2010, in response to the Report of the Great Commission Task Force

Vision

Being fully committed to the proposition that Jesus Christ is the only hope for the world, and believing Southern Baptists are yearning for spiritual renewal and Christ-centered living, and recognizing the challenge of Jesus to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, we, the undersigned Southern Baptist denominational leaders, covenant with each other and every willing Southern Baptist, under God:

To make the kingdom of God the priority in our own personal lives.

To dedicate the energies and resources of the ministries we lead to seeking first the King and His kingdom.

To cooperate with each other and the family of Southern Baptists as we pursue kingdom principles and practices.

To give ourselves to servant leadership that will assist and enable local churches in their ministry.

To pray that a new passion for Jesus breaks out among our people, our families, and our churches from which God can forge a spiritual movement marked by holy living, sacrificial service, and global witness.

To this end we affirm Empowering Kingdom Growth as a call for Southern Baptists to seek first the King and His kingdom.

– Adopted by the messengers to the 2002 Southern Baptist Convention in St. Louis, Missouri on June 11, 2002, in “A Covenant between Southern Baptist Denominational Leadership and the Churches”

Core Values

We depend on the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and prayer to make us more like Jesus Christ.

TRUTH

We stand together in the truth of God’s inerrant Word, celebrating the faith once for all delivered to the saints.

UNITY

We work together in love for the sake of the Gospel.

RELATIONSHIPS

We consider others more important than ourselves.

TRUST

We tell one another the truth in love and do what we say we will do.

FUTURE

We value Southern Baptists of all generations and embrace our responsibility to pass this charge to a rising generation in every age, faithful until Jesus comes.

LOCAL CHURCH

We believe the local church is given the authority, power, and responsibility to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every person in the world.

KINGDOM

We join other Christ-followers for the Gospel, the Kingdom of Christ, and the glory of God.