How Southern Baptists became pro-life is a question that some might assume has always been a foregone conclusion. While the SBC has long been known for its unwavering commitment to protecting the preborn, this wasn’t always the case.
In recent years, the Southern Baptist Convention is committed to promoting a pro-life culture, even while such priorities are losing footing among our nation’s politicians. The Republican National Convention’s (RNC) recently released their political party platform, which reveals a shift in the party’s change on life issues. The new language in the platform cites opposition only to “late term” abortions and touts support for in vitro fertilization (IVF) and contraception access. The platform also dropped the previously held support for a federal ban on abortion, saying it’s an issue to be left to the individual states.
In response to the news, SBC President Clint Pressley expressed his disappointment with the change. “I am disheartened by what’s happened in the GOP,” Pressley wrote. “The GOP platform may be subject to change, but God’s word is not. Southern Baptists ‘contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death’ and will insist that elected officials do the same.”
Pressley and other Southern Baptists are rightly dismayed by the change. The revised platform violates the Baptist Faith and Message (2000), which affirms in Article XV that children “from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord.” It further affirms that Southern Baptists are mandated by Scripture to “speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death.”
The current longstanding pro-life stances of the SBC aligned with a theological shift in the Convention, leading to a deeper and better understanding of Scripture’s teaching on this matter.
How Southern Baptists moved from apathetic to engaged on pro-life issues
In the years leading up to the 1970s, Southern Baptists held diverse views on abortion. Many either took no position or accepted legal abortion under certain circumstances. As political scientist Andrew R. Lewis points out, while Southern Baptists took a high view of life, even fetal life, and opposed abortion-on-demand, they also tended to support legal abortion in several cases beyond protecting the life of the mother. For example, a poll conducted by the Baptist Sunday School Board in 1970 found that:
- 70% of SBC pastors supported abortion to protect the mental or physical health of the mother,
- 64% supported abortion in cases of fetal deformity, and
- 71% in cases of rape.
Abortion wasn’t much discussed within the denomination in the years preceding legalized abortion. From 1965–1968, no Baptist state paper mentioned abortion, and no Baptist body took action related to the subject. The most prominent mention came in 1971, when the leadership of the Christian Life Commission supported a resolution—which was later adopted at the SBC annual meeting—that called upon Southern Baptists to “work for legislation that will allow the possibility of abortion under such conditions as rape, incest, clear evidence of severe fetal deformity, and carefully ascertained evidence of the likelihood of damage to the emotional, mental, and physical health of the mother.”
In 1973, the Supreme Court made abortion-on-demand the law of the land in its twin rulings of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton. The news initially received mixed reactions within the SBC. Some criticized the ruling, while others saw it as an advancement of religious liberty and justice. However, this Supreme Court decision ultimately became a catalyst for change within the denomination.
Between 1976 and 1980, the SBC began to shift toward a more consistently pro-life stance. This change was largely influenced by the Conservative Resurgence movement which sought to realign the denomination with more traditional biblical interpretations of ethical issues. A pivotal moment came in 1980 when the SBC adopted a resolution supporting legislation to prohibit abortion except to save the mother’s life.
The 1980s and 1990s saw the SBC solidify its pro-life position. The establishment of Southern Baptists for Life in 1984 and the leadership of Richard Land at the Christian Life Commission (later renamed the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission) were instrumental in this process.
By the 1990s, the SBC’s leadership consistently reflected strong pro-life views. In recent years, first under the leadership of Russell Moore and now under Brent Leatherwood, the SBC has continued to champion the pro-life cause while also broadening its approach.
How Southern Baptists now embrace a whole-life ethic
Over the past 15 years, the SBC has increasingly emphasized a “whole-life” ethic, recognizing that being pro-life extends beyond opposing abortion to supporting mothers and families in need.
Importantly, while maintaining a firm stance against abortion, the SBC has advocated for historic and effective pro-life approaches that do not criminalize mothers. Instead, the SBC’s focus has been on education, support, and alternatives to abortion. This nuanced position recognizes the complex circumstances that often surround unplanned pregnancies and seeks to offer compassion and practical assistance rather than punishment.
The SBC’s commitment to whole-life care is evident in initiatives like the ERLC’s Psalm139 Project, which provides ultrasound machines and training to pregnancy care clinics. These efforts aim to offer tangible support to women facing difficult decisions while affirming the value of every human life.
The recent political shift on abortion provides an opportune time for Southern Baptists to reflect on a journey that has led our churches and members away from diverse opinions on abortion to a unified, compassionate pro-life stance. This shift serves as a reminder of how deeply held convictions can change over time, shaped by the Bible, ethical considerations, and a growing understanding of the complexities surrounding life issues. And it highlights that if preborn children are to be protected, Southern Baptists must continue to take the lead, as demonstrated by work done at many of our churches churches and through the advocacy carried out by the ERLC.
Read this article for a more in-depth article about how Southern Baptists became unapologetically pro-life.
