The annual Pastor’s Conference that occurs just before the annual meeting is also canceled. “David Uth, president of the 2020 Pastors’ Conference and pastor of First Baptist Church Orlando, has confirmed that as an auxiliary meeting to the annual meeting, the pastors’ conference would be canceled as well,” SBC’swebsite reads.
Even if the denomination won’t be meeting this year, however, leaders of the SBC are encouraging members to continue praying for an end to the virus and to carry on the work of the Great Commission. “This is not a time for Southern Baptists to shrink back in timidity and fearfulness or be paralyzed with uncertainty. This is not the time to retreat. This is a time for us to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every person in every town, every city, every state and every nation.”
Indeed, Greear expressed similar feelings when he said “This is an incredibly important time for the church, as we seek to demonstrate the certain hope that God gives to an uncertain world through Christ.”
As this year’s meeting is not being rescheduled, the next annual meeting will take place in Nashville on June 15-16, 2021.
