Southern Baptist Convention messengers approved all 12 recommendations presented by the Executive Committee during the Southern Baptists Convention annual meeting.
The measures adopted relate to disability ministry, budgets, governance and future annual meeting locations.
Disability ministry
Jeff Iorg, executive committee president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, introduced the first two recommendations, which stemmed from motions referred to the Executive Committee following the 2025 SBC annual meeting.
Tom Stolle, executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware and chairman of the Disability Ministry Task Force, presented the task force report, which examined accessibility, ministry resources and support for individuals and families across Southern Baptist life affected by disabilities.
The report encouraged SBC entities, churches and ministry organizations to expand disability ministry training, accessibility efforts, and outreach opportunities.
It also recommended continued evaluation of ministry policies affecting families with disabilities and proposed the second Sunday of July as Disability Ministry Sunday as an annual emphasis.
Budget recommendations
David Twiddy, chairman of the Committee on Convention Finances and Stewardship Development, moved adoption of Recommendation 3, the 2026–2027 Cooperative Program Allocation Budget, and Recommendation 4, the 2026–2027 Executive Committee and SBC operating budget.
The proposed $186 million budget includes allocating 51% of national Cooperative Program receipts to the International Mission Board, fulfilling a recommendation previously made by the Great Commission Resurgence Evaluation Task Force.
The proposed Executive Committee and SBC operating budget totals $8.919 million in revenue, down from $12,218,300 in 2025–2026, and $10.919 in expenses. The $2 million gap would be covered by reserves and loan proceeds. The budget includes provisions addressing anticipated legal expenses.
Governance
Recommendation 5, requiring a second consecutive annual meeting vote for amendments to the SBC Constitution or the convention’s adopted statement of faith, received the required final approval.
Recommendation 6 called for amending SBC Bylaw 19 to require the president to release Committee on Committees appointments at least 60 days before the annual meeting rather than the current 45-day requirement. The recommendation originated from a referred motion seeking additional time for messenger review and vetting.
Recommendation 7 called for amending SBC Bylaw 21 regarding the Committee on Order of Business. The amendment increases committee membership and adjusts term limits.
Future convention sites
Recommendations 8 through 12 pertain to future SBC annual meeting sites: 2030 in Houston, 2034 in New Orleans, Louisiana, and 2035 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Recommendations 9 and 12, proposing Anaheim, California, for 2032 and 2037 drew opposition as being too expensive, particularly for bivocational pastors and laypersons, and far away from the majority of Southern Baptist churches.
One messenger opposed Anaheim as being close to where moderate Southern Baptists are strongest.
“Simply put, the Southern Baptist Convention. … does not belong in California. If any of you went to Anaheim the last time we went to Anaheim, you will remember that the more moderate side of the SBC won out. And that is not by coincidence,” said the messenger.
Iorg responded that Anaheim remains one of the few Western cities capable of hosting a convention the size of the SBC and noted the convention historically rotates into the Western United States approximately once every five years.
Recommendations 9 and 12 passed overwhelmingly.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Kendall Lyons and originally published by Baptist Standard.
