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The '''Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)''' is the largest organization of [[Baptists]] in the world, and in the [[United States]] is the largest [[Protestant]] denomination and overall the second-largest [[Christian]] denomination [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholicism]].  The SBC is considered [[evangelical]]. The [[Speaker of the House]] (as of 2025) [[Mike Johnson]] belongs to this church.

The '''Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)''' is the largest organization of [[Baptists]] in the world, and in the [[United States]] is the largest [[Protestant]] denomination and overall the second-largest [[Christian]] denomination [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholicism]].  The SBC is considered [[evangelical]]. The [[Speaker of the House]] (as of 2025) [[Mike Johnson]] belongs to this church. More than 10,000 convene for its annual meeting.

It has over 16 million members in 42,000 churches across America, with greatest strength in the South.<ref>There are four other major national Baptist denominations (excluding [[Independent Baptist]]s who do not organize into formal denominations): the [[American Baptist Churches USA|American Baptist Churches]] (strongest in the North), National Baptist Convention (African Americans, strong in the South and northern cities), the Conservative Baptist Association, and the Progressive National Baptist Convention (a more liberal body of African Americans, strong in the South and northern cities).</ref> It also sponsors 10,000 missionaries in 157 countries. It holds 41 state conventions and one national convention annually, and in recent years it tends to identify with [[Conservative Christianity|conservative Christian]] values and supports Biblical [[inerrancy]].  Insistence on baptism by immersion, as it is presented in the Bible, fulfills the twin symbolism of washing from sin and of death and rebirth, as well as pointing to the Baptists' conviction that Scripture is the complete and sufficient basis of the Christian faith, and (in the more traditional congregations) is also mandatory to become a church member.  

It has over 16 million members in 42,000 churches across America, with greatest strength in the South.<ref>There are four other major national Baptist denominations (excluding [[Independent Baptist]]s who do not organize into formal denominations): the [[American Baptist Churches USA|American Baptist Churches]] (strongest in the North), National Baptist Convention (African Americans, strong in the South and northern cities), the Conservative Baptist Association, and the Progressive National Baptist Convention (a more liberal body of African Americans, strong in the South and northern cities).</ref> It also sponsors 10,000 missionaries in 157 countries. It holds 41 state conventions and one national convention annually, and in recent years it tends to identify with [[Conservative Christianity|conservative Christian]] values and supports Biblical [[inerrancy]].  Insistence on baptism by immersion, as it is presented in the Bible, fulfills the twin symbolism of washing from sin and of death and rebirth, as well as pointing to the Baptists' conviction that Scripture is the complete and sufficient basis of the Christian faith, and (in the more traditional congregations) is also mandatory to become a church member.