fbpx Skip to main content

On Sole Membership


WHEREAS, Sole membership is the legal relationship between the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention and Convention entities; and

WHEREAS, The Southern Baptist Convention exclusively retains sole membership of all Convention entities; and

WHEREAS, Each entity has incorporated language reflecting the Convention’s sole membership into their respective corporate charters and associated public filings; and

WHEREAS, The adoption of sole membership by each entity of the Convention followed numerous public, private, written, and spoken assurances from Convention attorneys that the provision would not undermine the integrity of our historic trustee system of governance on behalf of the Convention; and

WHEREAS, These written legal advisories and public presentations specifically stated that the sole member rights of the Convention were both non-transferable and non-accretive to any subsidiary organization or entity of the Convention; and

WHEREAS, Neither the ministry assignment of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention nor any of the Convention’s other commissions, seminaries, or entities ascribe to that entity the responsibility or privilege to exercise the sole membership rights of the Convention ad interim; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, June 15-16, 2021, affirm the Convention’s exclusive sole membership of each Convention entity; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we proudly affirm our heritage of trustee governance of our various entities, on behalf of the Convention, which allows each entity to undertake their respective ministry assignment without infringing upon the governance of other entities or interfering in their administration or ministry assignment; and be it finally

RESOLVED, That we delight in the harmonious cooperative work of our Convention entities in fulfillment of their respective ministry assignments, in order to assist our churches to fulfill the Great Commission.