Editing Southern Baptist Convention (section)

===Increasing diversity and policy changes===
[[File:2015-05-07 Fred Luter Elizabeth Luter (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Fred Luter Jr.]] was the first African American president of the Southern Baptists]]
By the early 21st century, the number of ethnically diverse congregations was increasing among the Southern Baptists. In 2008, almost 20% of the congregations were majority African American, Asian, Hispanic, or Latino. SBC cooperating churches had an estimated one million African American members.<ref name="Salmon2008">{{Citation | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/15/AR2008021503772.html | last = Salmon | first = Jacqueline L | title = Southern Baptists Diversifying to Survive: Minority Outreach Seen as Key to Crisis | newspaper = The [[Washington Post]] | date = Feb 15, 2008}}.</ref> It has passed a series of resolutions recommending including more black members and appointing more African American leaders.<ref name="The Southern Baptists 2012" /> At its 2012 annual meeting, it elected Pastor [[Fred Luter]] of the [[Franklin Avenue Baptist Church]] as its first African American president. He had earned respect by showing leadership skills in building a large congregation in New Orleans.<ref>{{Citation | url = http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2012/06/fred_luter_jr_of_new_orleans_e.html | last = Pope | first = John | title = The Rev. Fred Luter Jr. of New Orleans elected first black president of Southern Baptist Convention | newspaper = [[The Times-Picayune]] | date = June 19, 2012}}.</ref>

The SBC's increasingly national scope inspired some members to suggest a name change. In 2005, some members made proposals at the SBC Annual Meeting to change the name to the more national-sounding "North American Baptist Convention" or "Scriptural Baptist Convention" (to retain the SBC initials). These proposals were defeated.<ref>{{Citation | title = Annual meeting | url = http://www.sbcannualmeeting.net/sbc99/min615ev.htm | publisher = Southern Baptist Convention | contribution = Tuesday Evening | date = June 15, 1999 | access-date = August 3, 2007 | archive-date = May 6, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090506235234/http://www.sbcannualmeeting.net/sbc99/min615ev.htm  }}.</ref>

The messengers of the 2012 annual meeting in New Orleans voted to adopt the descriptor "Great Commission Baptists". The legal name remained "Southern Baptist Convention", but affiliated churches and convention entities could voluntarily use the descriptor.<ref name="Foust-2012">{{Citation | url = http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38113 | last = Foust | first = Michael | newspaper = News | title = Wrap-up: Historic meeting sees messengers elect 1st black president, approve descriptor | publisher = [[Baptist Press]] | date = June 21, 2012  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120627032721/http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38113 | archive-date = June 27, 2012 }}.</ref>

Almost a year after the [[Charleston church shooting]], the denomination approved a resolution that called upon member churches and families to stop flying the [[Confederate flag]].<ref>{{cite web |date=June 14, 2016 |title=Resolution 7: On Sensitivity and Unity Regarding the Confederate Battle Flag |url=http://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/resolution-7-on-sensitivity-and-unity-regarding-the-confederate-battle-flag |website=The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission}}</ref>

The church approved a resolution, "On Refugee Ministry", encouraging member churches and families to welcome refugees coming to the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.christianpost.com/news/southern-baptist-refugee-resettlement-trump-ban-muslim-immigration-165244/|title=Southern Baptists Vote to Support Refugee Resettlement After Trump Says to Ban All Muslim Immigration|date=June 15, 2016}}</ref> In the same convention, [[Russell D. Moore|Russell Moore]] of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission quickly responded to a pastor who asked why a member should support the right of Muslims living in the U.S. to build mosques. Moore replied, "Sometimes we have to deal with questions that are really complicated... this isn't one of them." Moore said that religious freedom must be for all religions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2016/06/16/482268688/southern-baptists-split-with-trump-on-refugee-resettlement|title=Southern Baptists Split With Donald Trump On Refugee Resettlement|website=NPR|date=June 16, 2016|last1=McCammon|first1=Sarah}}</ref>

From February to June 2016, the denomination collaborated with the National Baptist Convention, USA, on racial reconciliation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Loller |first=Travis |title=Southern Baptists to talk racial unity at annual meeting |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/religion/2016/06/10/southern-baptists-talk-racial-unity/85724250/ |access-date=2023-03-11 |website=The Tennessean |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Baptist Press-2016">{{Cite web |date=2016-02-12 |title=SBC celebrates racial reconciliation progress |url=https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/sbc-celebrates-racial-reconciliation-progress/ |access-date=2023-03-11 |website=Baptist Press |language=en-US}}</ref> SBC-GCB and NBC presidents [[Ronnie Floyd]] and Jerry Young assembled ten pastors from each convention in 2015, discussing race relations; in 2016, ''[[Baptist Press]]'' and ''[[The New York Times]]'' revealed tension among National Baptists debating any collaboration with Southern Baptists, quoting NBC President Young:<ref name="Baptist Press-2016" />

{{Blockquote|text=I've never said this to Dr. Floyd, but I've had fellows in my own denomination who called me and said: "What are you doing? I mean, are you not aware of the history?" And I say, obviously I'm aware. They bring up the issue about slavery and that becomes a reason, they say, that we ought not to be involved with the Southern Baptists. Where from my vantage point, that's reverse racism. I do understand the history, and I understand the pain of the past...But what I'm also quite clear about is, if the Gospel does anything at all, the Gospel demands that we not only preach but practice reconciliation.|title=|author=Dr. Jerry Young, NBC USA}}

After an initial resolution denouncing the [[Alt-right|alt-right movement]] failed to make it to the convention floor, the denomination officially denounced the alt-right movement at the 2017 convention.<ref>{{Citation|title=Southern Baptists denounce white supremacy - CNN Video|date=June 15, 2017 |url=http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2017/06/15/southern-baptists-condemn-alt-right-orig-gr.cnn/video/playlists/being-moody-sponsored/|access-date=2017-06-16}}</ref> On November 5, 2017, [[Sutherland Springs church shooting|a mass shooting]] took place at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sbc.net/church/9045-78161/first-baptist-sutherland-springs|title=Southern Baptist Convention > First Baptist Sutherland Springs|website=www.sbc.net|language=en|access-date=2018-01-12|archive-date=January 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180112221445/http://www.sbc.net/church/9045-78161/first-baptist-sutherland-springs|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/05/us/texas-church-shooting/index.html|title=At least 26 people killed in shooting at Texas church|author1=Dakin Andone |author2=Kaylee Hartung |author3=Darran Simon|work=CNN|access-date=2018-01-12}}</ref> It was the deadliest shooting to occur at any affiliated church in its history and, in modern history, at an American [[place of worship]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/deadliest-church-shooting-in-american-history-strikes-sutherland-springs-texas|title=Deadliest Church Shooting in American History Kills at Least 26|last=Weill|first=Kelly|date=2017-11-05|work=The Daily Beast|access-date=2018-01-12}}</ref>

In 2020, the denomination canceled its convention due to [[COVID-19 pandemic|COVID-19]] concerns and eventually rescheduled for June 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=2021 SBC Annual Meeting to remain in Nashville, shift venues|url=https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/2021-sbc-annual-meeting-to-remain-in-nashville-shift-venues/|access-date=2021-04-25|website=www.baptistpress.com/|date=April 15, 2021|publisher=Baptist Press|language=en-US}}</ref>

In a ''Washington Post'' story dated September 15, 2020, Greear said some Southern Baptist Convention leaders wanted to change the official name of the church to "Great Commission Baptists" (GCB), to distance the church from its support of slavery and because it is no longer just a Southern church.<ref name="name change">{{cite news|url=https://greensboro.com/news/national/leaders-may-drop-southern-from-baptist-churches-for-racial-and-regional-inclusion/article_66ea53a8-f84b-11ea-9eff-9f5d723fef04.html|title=Leaders may drop 'Southern' from Baptist churches for racial and regional inclusion|last=Quillin|first=Martha|work=[[News & Observer]]|date=September 16, 2020|access-date=September 17, 2020}}</ref> Since then, several leaders and churches have begun adopting the alternative descriptor for their churches.<ref name="Banks-2020" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Blair |first=Leonardo |date=2020-09-15 |title=More So. Baptists embracing alternate 'Great Commission Baptists' name in wake of racial unrest |url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/more-so-baptists-embracing-alternate-great-commission-baptists-name-in-wake-of-racial-unrest.html |access-date=2023-04-25 |website=The Christian Post |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Castronuovo |first=Celine |date=2020-09-15 |title=Southern Baptist Convention leaders dropping 'Southern' from name over slavery connection |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/news/516480-southern-baptist-convention-leaders-dropping-southern-from-name-over-slavery/ |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}}</ref>