SBC Executive Committee President Jeff Iorg speaks to the Executive Committee Feb. 16 in Nashville. – Photo by Brandon Porter
NASHVILLE (BP) – The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee will work to fulfill its ministry assignments despite budget challenges in the coming year, EC President and CEO Jeff Iorg told the body Feb. 16 during its meeting in Nashville.
Paramount are the absence of a one-time $3 million priority allocation that helped the EC meet legal costs in 2025-2026, and an anticipated cut to the EC budget that will enable an increase in International Mission Board funding from 50.41 percent of CP giving to 51 percent. Messengers approved in 2010 the increase in international missions spending, but the change has been implemented incrementally.
The changes could reshape the way the EC accomplishes its goals, Iorg said, commending other entities for cooperating in the vital support of international missions.
“We salute these brothers tonight for their partnership in this important matter,” Iorg said, adding that the EC will contribute more than half of the increase in IMB’s budget.
“While SBC entities are sharing the responsibility for making this change, the Executive Committee is still taking on most of the financial burden. We are doing this with a full understanding this will alter how we fulfill our ministry assignments,” Iorg said in his report during the Feb. 16 plenary session. “We will work over the next few months to create these plans and implement them beginning in October 2026.
“The Executive Committee and the Executive Committee staff are committed to meeting these challenges and reshaping ourselves to minister within our allotted resources.”
At other times in his report, Iorg gave EC members a sneak peek at the results of a national survey on pastors’ perceptions of the Cooperative Program, and highlighted EC successes in establishing an SBC trustee training course, preventing and responding to sex abuse, defending court challenges, implementing a newly approved Business and Financial Plan, and planning the 2026 SBC Annual Meeting set for Orlando.
CP survey
In a study commissioned in consultation with pastors, state convention leaders, ethnic fellowship leaders and entity heads, and conducted in December 2025 in cooperation with Lifeway Research, the EC surveyed Southern Baptist pastors regarding their perceptions of, the CP, garnering participation from more than 5,100 pastors.
Pastors overwhelmingly view the CP positively, perceiving that the CP enables churches to expand their ministry and that a decline in CP giving would adversely impact churches, the survey shows. Noting that more details will be disclosed in Baptist Press, Iorg said a minority of responding pastors – 37 percent – saying they believe a “mistrust of SBC leadership has impacted CP giving,” while 51 percent disagree with that conclusion and 10 percent were unsure.
“The ‘trust issue’ matters a great deal to us, so we wanted to give ample opportunity for pastors to speak about it,” Iorg said. “While some speak often of lack of trust and demand greater transparency, only a small minority of pastors raised these issues when given a confidential opportunity to record their concerns.”
Iorg presented relatively large percentages of pastors who said they were unsure of their standing on various questions regarding the CP.
“These high (percentages of) unsure responses reveal places for training, advocacy and education. All of this teaches us, tells us, that convention leaders and influential pastors must make the case for cooperative giving, including providing resources and rationale for these decisions,” Iorg said. “We have continued work to do in promoting and managing the Cooperative Program, but this survey speaks clearly to us that the position from which we’re starting is a much more positive one than many would have us to believe.”
Among survey findings:
- While 39 percent of respondents aid the CP is relevant among younger pastors, 33 percent said they were unsure.
- While 43 percent disagreed with the statement that designated giving diminishes CP impact, 33 percent agreed with the statement, but 24 percent were unsure.
- When asked whether their church is open to increasing its CP giving, 44 percent said yes, 25 percent said no, but 30 percent said they were unsure.
- 91 percent said churches can do more cooperatively through the CP than they can individually.
- 84 percent said a decline in CP giving would hurt mission effectiveness.
- 87 percent said the CP is a trustworthy way to support missions.
Trustee Training Course
The EC has launched an SBC Trustee Training Course available at no charge at sbc.net, with the EC handling costs associated with developing and managing the curriculum. Course content, created in partnership with entity leaders, includes six videos, reading materials, and tutorials, and offers a certificate of recognition.
Completing the course is not a prerequisite for trustee service, Iorg said, but entity leaders are encouraged to use the course in trustee orientation and training. Non-trustees may also use the course.
2026 SBC Annual Meeting
An anticipated 20,000 messengers, guests and others are expected to attend the 2026 SBC Annual Meeting June 9-10 in Orlando, Iorg said, including 1,000 children.
“We will come together in Orlando to celebrate the results of cooperating, likely arguing with each other like families often do about this matter or that,” he said, “but walk away unified around our mission of sharing the Gospel with people who in too many cases not only have not heard the Gospel, but have not yet heard the name of Jesus.”
The SBC’s Gospel mission occupies his mind daily, Iorg said, and drives his actions and decisions.
“I am motivated by God’s eternal purpose in Jesus Christ,” Iorg said.
Sex Abuse Prevention and Response
With an inaugural Forces for Good Summit set for Feb. 25 at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, the office led Jeff Dalrymple, EC director of abuse prevention and response, has released the updated Essentials 2.0 training materials in English and Spanish, with additional translations planned in Korean, Mandarin, French and Portuguese. Additionally, the department is working with SBC associational leaders to create a training model Baptist associations can use to help churches respond to the issues.
Responding to legal challenges
Among the three court cases involving the EC, trial dates have been set in the lawsuits initiated by former SBC President Johnny Hunt and former Southern Baptist Theological Seminary professor David Sills, although motions are pending that could impact trial dates.
“Depending on how these motions are resolved in either or both of these cases, there may be trials on these matters later in 2026,” Iorg said. “The (Preston) Garner case against the Credentials Committee has been argued before the Tennessee Supreme Court. Their ruling will determine the next course of action.”
Business and Financial Plan
The EC has implemented the new SBC Business and Financial Plan messengers to the 2025 SBC Annual Meeting approved at the EC’s request.
“Concerns have emerged about meeting the new deadlines because of varying fiscal years and reporting cycles among entities, along with resolving the overlapping requirements of the old plan with the revised plan,” Iorg said. “These are normal challenges when putting any new set of policies in place across numerous entities with complex operations. But let me underscore again my appreciation for the way entity leaders have worked on this project as the new plan is being implemented thoroughly.”
