Southern Baptists tell people to go to church, not just watch on YouTube

As the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) concluded its annual business meeting in Orlando this week, the denomination issued a clear call to its followers: it is time to return to the pews. Through a newly passed resolution, the SBC is urging congregants to prioritize in-person worship over the digital convenience of livestreaming services on platforms like YouTube or Facebook.

The Importance of Physical Presence

The conversation feels reminiscent of the classic Alabama roadside sentiment—often seen on I-65—reminding travelers to "Go to Church or the Devil Will Get You!" While the resolution’s tone is more measured, the underlying concern is palpable. Since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the widespread adoption of virtual services, church leaders have observed a growing trend of individuals choosing digital viewing over physical attendance.

Hunter Baker, SBC Resolutions Committee Chairman and provost at North Greenville University, noted that addressing the nature of the gathered church was a critical priority for the committee. "One of the things that I’ve observed as a Baptist layperson is, especially in bigger cities, you’ll have people who just sort of tune in to YouTube for their church experience," Baker said. "I think that’s probably become quite a common thing after COVID."

Defining the Church

Jeremy Pierre, dean of the Billy Graham School of Evangelism, Missions and Ministry at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, emphasized that the church is inherently a "gathered people." He highlighted that many New Testament mandates—such as loving, serving, and forgiving—require the physical proximity of believers.

"We actually think it’s dehumanizing to individuals to be separated from each other," Pierre explained. "To take a three-dimensional relationship and flatten it to a two-dimensional image, it just doesn’t work." The resolution ultimately defined a local church as an "embodied assembly of baptized believers," stating that technology cannot replace the New Testament mandate for a physical gathering.

Additional SBC Resolutions

Beyond the focus on church attendance, the convention addressed several other significant issues:

• Clergy Standards: The SBC reaffirmed its stance on the office of pastor/elder/overseer, stating it is limited to men as qualified by Scripture. This aligns with an earlier constitutional amendment regarding women pastors, which requires a follow-up vote in 2027.
• Anti-Semitism: The convention passed a resolution condemning the rise of anti-Jewish bigotry and violence following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, labeling modern conspiracy theories as "echoes of historic libels."
• Policy and Ethics: The body also approved various resolutions addressing political violence, assisted suicide, and a platform on immigration that calls for lawful enforcement and accountability while rejecting amnesty.