Southern Baptists Plot Post-Roe Strategy To End Same-Sex Marriage Rights
Southern Baptists voted overwhelmingly to support the repeal of same-sex marriage rights, modeling their strategy on the movement that overturned Roe v. Wade.
Ten years after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, the Southern Baptist Convention has set its sights on turning back the clock. Meeting in Dallas this week, more than 10,000 church representatives voted overwhelmingly to support a resolution calling for the repeal of Obergefell v. Hodges, the ruling that made same-sex marriage a constitutional right.
“What we’re trying to do is keep the conversation alive,” said Andrew Walker, who co-authored the resolution. He pointed to the fall of Roe v. Wade as proof that sustained activism can shift legal ground. The Southern Baptists, he said, are playing the long game.
The resolution, titled “On Restoring Moral Clarity through God’s Design for Gender, Marriage, and the Family,” outlines a sweeping vision of conservative Christian values. It affirms that marriage is between one man and one woman, criticizes “willful childlessness,” and urges the defunding of Planned Parenthood. It also condemns transgender identities and calls for bans on pornography and sports betting.
Denny Burk, one of the resolution’s authors, acknowledged that Baptists are out of step with most Americans. “We know that we’re in a minority in the culture right now,” he said. “But we want to be a prophetic minority.”
Resolutions passed at the SBC’s annual meeting are nonbinding, but the denomination’s reach is significant. With about 12.7 million members, the SBC is the country’s largest Protestant denomination.
Still, membership continues to decline. Attendance at this year’s convention was a fraction of what it was during the SBC’s 1980s peak. But within the shrinking numbers is a hardening resolve. Baptisms are up. Political rhetoric is sharper. And the leadership is leaning fully into culture war territory.
“It is good to be a Southern Baptist,” said Clint Pressley, who was re-elected as convention president. In his opening remarks, he acknowledged recent internal strife but insisted that the churches and convictions remain strong.
While the SBC focuses its attention on opposing same-sex marriage, some critics say it is failing to protect the vulnerable within its own ranks. Efforts to create a public database of ministers credibly accused of abuse have stalled. Meanwhile, the Executive Committee is seeking $3 million for legal fees related to abuse cases.
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On Wednesday, messengers will take up other hot-button issues, including a proposed constitutional ban on women pastors and the possible elimination of the SBC’s public-policy arm.
Chad Connelly, a political organizer attending the meeting, summed up the broader ambition: “It’s time for us to take back our nation.”
Whether that includes unraveling a decade of marriage equality remains to be seen. But if the fall of Roe taught us anything, it’s that movements once seen as fringe can gain ground, especially when they’re patient, organized, and willing to ignore the polls.
For LGBTQ+ people, the message is clear: the fight is not over.
