Southern Baptists and Religious Freedom
Confessional Commitments and Public Statements
Religious freedom for all has been a hallmark of the Baptist tradition since its origins in the early seventeenth century. In 1612, Thomas Helwys established the first Baptist church on English soil in the village of Spitalfields, which at the time was just outside London. That same year, Helwys wrote “A Short Declaration of the Mystery of Iniquity,” dedicated to King James I, which was the first book-length defense of full religious liberty written in the English language.
In 1925, Southern Baptists adopted the first edition of the Baptist Faith & Message. The confession included an article on religious liberty that has remained unedited across all three editions of the statement, including the current Baptist Faith & Message (2000).
God alone is Lord of the conscience, and He has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are contrary to His Word or not contained in it. Church and state should be separate. The state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. In providing for such freedom no ecclesiastical group or denomination should be favored by the state more than others. Civil government being ordained of God, it is the duty of Christians to render loyal obedience thereto in all things not contrary to the revealed will of God. The church should not resort to the civil power to carry on its work. The gospel of Christ contemplates spiritual means alone for the pursuit of its ends. The state has no right to impose penalties for religious opinions of any kind. The state has no right to impose taxes for the support of any form of religion. A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal, and this implies the right of free and unhindered access to God on the part of all men, and the right to form and propagate opinions in the sphere of religion without interference by the civil power.
This article makes a number of claims about the nature of religious freedom and its implications.
We are ultimately accountable to God alone for our beliefs about spiritual or religious matters, and such beliefs should never be coerced
All people have a right to free and unhindered access to God
All people have the right to form and share their opinions about religious matters
The state has no right to interfere in matters of religion or to penalize individuals solely for their religious opinions
In some sense church and state should be formally separate
The Christian ideal in a fallen world is religious freedom for all, in nations that are characterized by rightly ordered freedoms
The state’s responsibility is to protect religious freedom and avoid favoritism toward any particular religious group
The state has no right to collect taxes to be distributed to a favored religion, as happens in nations with formal religious establishments
God has ordained civil government, and we should obey earthly authorities except when those authorities contradict God’s revealed will in the Scriptures
The church should not rely upon the state to advance the mission of the church
There is certainly room for debate on the best way to apply some of these affirmations. However, the larger principle is clear: Southern Baptists are committed to religious liberty for all people as the best temporal arrangement to maximize human flourishing and facilitate the free and unhindered spread of the gospel.
Southern Baptists have not only confessed our belief in religious freedom, but we also have a long track record of reaffirming and strategically applying our belief through resolutions. Let me offer some examples from recent years.
In 2024, Southern Baptists adopted a resolution On Defending Religious Liberty. The full text of the resolution is below.
WHEREAS, The Lord Jesus Christ drew a clear distinction between his church and the governments of this world (Matthew 22:15-22) and reserved the judgment between believers and unbelievers for himself alone (Matthew 13:36-43); the Apostle Paul urged Timothy to pray for religious liberty (1 Timothy 2:1-5) and demonstrated that religious belief is subject to personal persuasion (Acts 17:22-31); and the Apostle John revealed “each one” will be judged “according to their works” (Revelation 20:12-13); and
WHEREAS, Baptists in America have consistently championed Constitutional protections against the establishment of state religion and for the free exercise of religion, believing the importance of religious liberty necessarily made it the “first freedom” to be articulated in the Bill of Rights; and
WHEREAS, Messengers to the meetings of the Southern Baptist Convention, from its inception in 1845, have adopted numerous resolutions advocating religious liberty and recognized that true faith cannot be legislated, coerced, or inherited; and
WHEREAS, When adopting the Baptist Faith and Message in 1925, Southern Baptists saw a need to emphasize religious liberty by adding Article XVIII on “Religious Liberty” (subsequently Article XVII in the 1963 and 2000 editions), thereby affirming the lordship of Christ, the separation of church and state, that “a free church in a free state is the Christian ideal,” and that “the state has no right to impose penalties for religious opinions of any kind”; and
WHEREAS, Through nature and conscience, others have come to recognize that our natural rights and responsibilities derive from our Creator, an open truth that the founders of the American nation also explicitly recognized; and
WHEREAS, Baptists have historically affirmed that nothing in the public square is truly neutral and have promoted active and holistic participation in society which should reflect biblical values as outlined in Article XV of the Baptist Faith and Message, “The Christian and the Social Order”; and
WHEREAS, Our Christian witness is better preserved by the separation of church and state, and Scripture and history have shown that true revival comes through the Spirit of God by means of fervent prayer, gospel evangelism, and biblical discipleship; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, June 11-12, 2024, boldly affirm that God has endowed every human with religious liberty, for “God alone is Lord of the conscience” (Article XVII); and that “Civil government being ordained of God, it is the duty of Christians to render loyal obedience thereto in all things not contrary to the revealed will of God” (Article XVII); and be it further
RESOLVED, That we encourage and support robust Christian engagement in the public square, including individual Christians who pursue elected or appointed office in order to influence government by living out their Christian worldview while advocating Christian morals with respect for the consciences of all people; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we reaffirm the 2023 resolution “On Christ’s Sole Lordship over Every Human Conscience” in its declaration that “we decry any effort which seeks to supplant the sole lordship of Christ over consciences through confusing the separate covenants and responsibilities of the church and the state”; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we reaffirm Article XVII of the Baptist Faith and Message, which states that “the gospel of Christ contemplates spiritual means alone for the pursuit of its ends” and “the state has no right to impose penalties for religious opinions of any kind,” along with numerous Southern Baptist resolutions throughout our history which reject government restriction of religious opinion and limit government infringement of religious expression; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we oppose any effort to establish a state religion of any nation, including the United States of America; that we refute the idea that God has commanded any state to establish any religion or any denomination; and we reject any government coercion or enforcement of religious belief, including blasphemy laws; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we oppose any effort to use the people and the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention to establish Christianity as the state religion of the United States of America; and be it finally
RESOLVED, That we object to any suggestion that our historic, God-given distinctive of religious liberty should be abandoned in favor of a state-mandated religion.
In 2025, we made clear that religious liberty is important both in the United States and abroad with a resolution On Advocating for International Religious Freedom. Again the full text is below.
WHEREAS, Scripture communicates that every human being is created in the image of God and has inherent value and dignity as determined by our Creator (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:7, 9:6); and
WHEREAS, Scripture tells us that there is one mediator between God and man, and that mediator is not the civil government but Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5); and
WHEREAS, God has made humans moral agents who are free to come to him by faith without coercion. For this reason, Southern Baptists advocate for religious freedom, a vital component to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20); and
WHEREAS, Advocating for religious liberty is a hallmark of Southern Baptist belief and practice and applies equally to all peoples, in all places, at all times, with our current confession stating that “God alone is Lord of the conscience, and He has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are contrary to His Word or not contained in it” (Baptist Faith and Message 2000, Article XVII); and
WHEREAS, Many of our brothers and sisters around the world live in fear for their lives and livelihood as a result of professing Christ and practicing their faith in nations which are led by leaders who deny religious liberty and freedom of worship, and these brothers and sisters experience persecution for their religious convictions at the hands of the governments and ruling authorities of their homelands; and
WHEREAS, Christians lament the plight of our brothers and sisters globally who experience religious persecution, because Scripture commands us to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15) and that “if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26); now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Dallas, Texas, June 10-11, 2025, affirm that God has endowed every human being with the freedom of conscience and with the corresponding freedom to practice their religious convictions without undue interference from civil power (Baptist Faith and Message 2000, Article XVII); and be it further
RESOLVED, We affirm that religious freedom is a human right given by God for all humanity to steward, and aids our work in fulfilling the Great Commission; and be it further
RESOLVED, We express support and solidarity with our brothers and sisters experiencing persecution worldwide; and be it further
RESOLVED, We urge the United States government to continue its efforts to advance religious freedom globally through its congressional and diplomatic bodies, in accordance with relevant statutes, including the International Religious Freedom Act and the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act; and be it further
RESOLVED, We implore Southern Baptist pastors, churches, state conventions, and entities to, whenever possible and appropriate, speak up for our brothers and sisters being persecuted at the hands of wicked governments; and be it finally RESOLVED, We likewise implore Southern Baptist pastors, churches, state conventions, and entities, in keeping with our confession to “work with all men of good will” (Baptist Faith and Message 2000, Article XV), to, whenever possible and appropriate, work with the United States government and other groups to advance religious freedom among their respective spheres of influence.
While these two resolutions are more programmatic, many other resolutions have addressed threats to religious freedom in specific foreign nations or due to specific cultural issues in the United States. Examples include a 2019 resolution On Religious Persecution And Human Rights Violations In North Korea And China, a 2021 resolution On the Equality Act, and a 2022 resolution On Religious Liberty, Forced Conversion, and the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report.
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission provides Southern Baptists (and other evangelicals) with many resources related to religious freedom, many of which are available online at the ERLC website. In the past six weeks, ERLC has published an explainer for the Chiles v. Salazar decision and shared a letter where ERLC “joined over 200 organizations and individuals in signing an International Religious Freedom (IRF) Roundtable letter urging the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee leadership to support the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Reauthorization Act of 2025. This letter urges top lawmakers to prioritize USCIRF reauthorization by advancing this bill out of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and setting the stage for a future House floor vote.”
It is my great joy to serve as Senior Fellow for Religious Liberty at ERLC. In that role, which is part of the ERLC Research Institute, I create resources that help Southern Baptists think about religious freedom and closely related topics. For example, I authored an essay on “Southern Baptists and Religious Liberty” that provides an overview of the topic. I have also recorded a short introductory video on the topic, and teamed up with my good friend Dan Darling as a lead author of the church guide “Dual Citizens: A Practical Guide to Christian Citizenship and Civic Engagement.” From time to time, I also speak at events about religious liberty, comment on recent events to the press, and write on the topic for various online outlets (including this newsletter).
There is no doubt religious liberty can be complicated. Some progressives want to curtail it, often to impose unbiblical views of gender and sexuality on social conservatives. Some Muslims want to exploit it so that they can advance their worldview in communities where they comprise a sizable part of the population. Some conservatives want to redefine it or even reject it in service to various forms of religious establishment or quasi-establishment. These threats are real, but Southern Baptists should remain resolutely committed to the “first freedom” guaranteed in the First Amendment to the US Constitution: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” After all, we were arguing for this principle long before America’s Founding Fathers came around to the idea of religious liberty for all people.
What I’ve Been Writing
Speaking of religious freedom, I have a new column at WORLD Opinions today on “Remembering the Forgotten Believers of Israel.” I write about a recent incident where state authorities closed the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (among other houses of worship) for Palm Sunday. The reason was because of the threat of violence due to the war with Iran. This move, though well-intentioned, resulted in considerable backlash, including from Mike Huckabee, the US Ambassador to Israel. Fortunately, Israeli officials backed off this overt violation of religious freedom. My takeaway from the incident: “We must support Israel’s right to exist and defend herself while also advocating for the religious freedom of religious minorities in Israel.” I’d encourage you to read the column.
What I’ve Been Reading
Andrew Walker, Faithful Reason: Natural Law Ethics for God’s Glory and Our Good (B&H Academic, 2024). I’ve owned this book since it was published, but I’m just now getting around to reading it. I already know what Andrew believes from our various conversations about natural law, as well as his shorter writings on the topic. I also already know I agree with his belief that Baptists and other Protestants need to recover a Christ-centered commitment to the natural law tradition. But I still wanted to read the book. So, I am.
Louise Perry, The Case Against the Sexual Revolution (Polity, 2022). Perry is a liberal feminist who has awaken to the truth that the sexual revolution has had many terrible effects, especially for women. She is no Christian, nor is she a conservative. Her prescriptions are often wrongheaded, but her diagnosis is mostly on point. This is a reminder that even non-Christians are capable of discerning basic moral reality on the basis of natural law—which is a key point Andrew Walker makes in the aforementioned book.
Francis Schaeffer, How Should We Then Live? The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture (1976; reprint, Crossway, 2022). I have never read this classic work from Schaeffer, though I have wanted to for years. This year is the 50th anniversary of the book, so I reckon now is as good a time as any to read it.
Cancer Update
Leah has had a good week. We are so thankful that her white blood count numbers had improved enough that she could resume her chemotherapy. She also received some test results indicating the chemo is working. Praise the Lord! The side effects were a doozy earlier in the week, but she is doing well and is in great spirits. You can read more about all this on Leah’s Substack.