Racial Reconciliation Sunday 2026 is on February 22. We created a free downloadable bulletin insert, prayer guide, and graphics for use in your church.
On June 1, 2025, Southern Baptists celebrated the 30th anniversary of the passage of the “Resolution on Racial Reconciliation on the 150th Anniversary of the Southern Baptist Convention.” No one who was in the convention hall that day in June 1995, will forget the moment.
The reconciliation resolution passed overwhelmingly (at least 98%), and there was a tremendous sense of joy and unity on the Convention floor while the world was watching. The next day the Southern Baptist resolution made the front page of The New York Times, and it was a positive story.
The next day the Southern Baptist resolution made the front page of The New York Times, and it was a positive story.
In the years since 1995, we have seen explosive growth of Black, Hispanic, and Asian congregations in Southern Baptist institutional life. Research from BaptistResearch.com and other sources reflect much greater participation of Blacks and other ethnic groups in Southern Baptist life. Ethnic minority groups have increased by 1 million members. Almost one-fifth of Southern Baptist churches are predominantly non-Anglo, and their numbers are increasing much more rapidly than among Anglos. (It should always be remembered that the SBC is a convention of churches, not individual members.) While the percentage of Southern Baptists who are white (80+%) still exceeds the United States population average (60%), the ethnic percentage of Southern Baptist churches has increased dramatically.
Of course, there is still much to do. As a denomination we have become much more reflective ethnically of the country in which we live. The reality is that we are much less so at the local congregational level. Racial reconciliation is always an ongoing process, and there is still much to do. Let us draw inspiration from the past as we go forward into the future.
There are multitudes of Southern Baptists, Black and white, who have worked courageously and sacrificially for racial reconciliation over the years, and it would be negligent not to pause and express our profound gratitude to them for their witness and sacrifice.
May we gain courage from them as we seek to move ever closer to the biblical ideal of a Church in which “there is neither Jew nor Greek . . . for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3:28)
May we gain courage from them as we seek to move ever closer to the biblical ideal of a Church in which “there is neither Jew nor Greek . . . for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3:28)
For a complete list of 2026 SBC focus Sundays, visit sbc.net/calendar.
