Kentucky Baptist Convention churches are among the strongest supporters of cooperative ministry in the nation. As a result, 553 messengers from Kentucky attended the 2023 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in New Orleans. These representatives witnessed 79 new international missionaries being commissioned, celebrated 10,000 churches being planted since 2012, and were encouraged by news that over 20,000 seminary students are being trained in our six Southern Baptist seminaries. Messengers let their voices be heard as the convention adopted resolutions on transgenderism, immigration, and for the first time, a resolution on artificial intelligence. Historic votes were taken by the 12,737 total SBC messengers in attendance, with each outcome being decidedly conservative.
The 2024 SBC Annual Meeting in Indianapolis is poised to be filled with even more important decisions. Southern Baptist messengers will likely be taking up the following:
- A second required vote on a proposed constitutional amendment.
- Electing a new SBC President as Bart Barber’s term expires.
- Recommendations from a new task force defining requirements for cooperation.
- Further discussions on preventing and responding to sexual abuse.
- Anticipated motion to add protections to changing our statement of faith.
The SBC needs the cooperative voices of Kentucky Baptists present at the 2024 SBC Annual Meeting. The last time the SBC Annual Meeting was in Indianapolis, Kentucky led all states with 731 messengers and over 10% of the entire national messenger attendance. If history repeats itself, Kentucky Baptists will have the most influential voice on key decisions at #SBC24.
If your Kentucky Baptist church is committed to our national partnerships, I encourage you to prepare now to attend the SBC annual meeting in Indianapolis June 11-12, 2024. Since the travel does not require a flight, plan to send your entire allotment of messengers. If your church is financially able, it would be a great investment to send up to six couples and cover the cost of their hotel rooms in next year’s budget. What a joyous benefit it would be for ministers, deacons, and laypeople in your church to experience this important assembly of Southern Baptists.
Since the number of messengers allowed for each SBC church is based upon Cooperative Program giving, it is important that you make the necessary CP contributions prior to the fiscal year end of August 31, 2023. Each church is allowed two messengers plus one additional messenger for every $6,000 or 1% of undesignated receipts given to the Cooperative Program during the previous fiscal year, up to a maximum of 12 messengers. Click here if you would like to make contributions to the Cooperative Program to fund missions and maximize your church’s messengers.
Kentucky Baptists are a unified people deeply committed to seeing our state, nation, and world reached with the gospel through our cooperative work. Let us continue shaping the future of our national partnerships by participating in #SBC24!
MICHAEL CABELL 
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