Controversy surrounds Mike Pence’s speech to SBC annual meeting

Vice President Mike Pence was the latest national leader to address the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, but not everyone in the Southern Baptist Convention was happy about his speech.

Attempts to substitute a time of prayer or an alternate speaker both failed the day prior to Pence’s June 13 speech. “We must do all that we can to preserve the purity of the gospel, and this invitation works against it,” said Garrett Kell, the Virginia pastor who proposed the prayer time. 

In his remarks, Pence recalled his decision to accept Jesus as Savior in 1978 after being raised in a Christian home. He encouraged Southern Baptists to continue with their commitment to spread the gospel.

“We know that what you do in the ministries of your churches make an extraordinary difference in the life of our nation,” Pence said.

However, a portion of the speech where Pence promoted the Trump administration’s accomplishments drew criticism afterwards, including from new SBC President J.D. Greear.

“We are grateful for civic leaders who want to speak to our convention—but make no mistake about it, our identity is in the gospel and our unity is in the Great Commission,” Greear tweeted.