While the SBC’s Executive Committee (EC) has now established a permanent office dedicated to the long-term implementation of denominational reforms, the denomination still has not fulfilled its promise to implement a “Ministry Check” website, which was to serve as a database of pastors, church leaders, and volunteers who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse.
In fact, while church delegates, called messengers, overwhelmingly voted to create the database in 2021, EC President Dr. Jeff Iorg has said that no immediate plans exist to implement it.
“At this point, it’s not a focus for us,” Iorg said in February.
Despite these and other issues facing the denomination, Pressley celebrated the good work the SBC has accomplished.
“I am thankful to have been elected in the year when, in God’s good providence, we are celebrating the 100-year anniversary of…our confession of faith and the Cooperative Program,” he said. “Those two institutions are our standards. And in many ways, we are the standard bearers.”
“ If the Southern Baptist Convention were a train, then the two rails that we run on are Baptist Faith & Message and the Cooperative Program,” he added.
Speaking of the BFM, Pressley said, “ The confession of faith that we hold on to—that confession is faithful to the Bible.”
“That confession is biblical. That confession is clear when you read it. Our confession is straightforward. It is not ambiguous. It is Christ-honoring,” Pressley said. “Our confession is joyful. It’s not overburdening. It is strong. It’s good for us to celebrate.”
“ But our confession is not designed to be dead orthodoxy,” Pressley later said. “Our confession is not designed to just be on a piece of paper or be the parameters around what we do. Our confession must lead to doing something.”
Turning his attention to the Cooperative Program, Pressley referred to it as “ the genius of how we actually do missions together.”
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“ What is the absolute genius? The absolute genius of having…almost 50,000 churches get behind one cause,” said Pressley, “and then give to it so that we might…fund education and fund mission.”
, looked out on a crowd of nearly 10,000 during the denomination’s annual meeting, he smiled and said, “ Let me begin today by saying: It is really good to be a Southern Baptist.”){kind=link}