ORLANDO, Fla.—Jeff Iorg, president and CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, told messengers during the 2026 annual meeting the convention is making “steady progress in the right direction” as it continues to address financial, legal, and governance challenges while prioritizing global missions.
Speaking during the Executive Committee report, Iorg outlined updates on Cooperative Program giving, legal expenses, trustee training, and sexual abuse prevention efforts while also previewing key recommendations set for a vote by messengers on Wednesday, June 10.
Cooperative Program giving has remained steady through the first eight months of this fiscal year, totaling more than $126 million and nearly matching last year’s pace, Iorg said.
“We are grateful for the steady faithfulness of Southern Baptists, pastors, and churches,” he said, adding concerns about legal expenses reducing Cooperative Program funding had not materialized.
He also noted a proposed 2026-2027 budget change would eliminate a “priority allocation” previously used for Executive Committee legal and operational costs.
International Mission Board
Under the budget recommendation, 51 percent of national Cooperative Program funds would go to the International Mission Board, an increase Iorg said reflects a renewed emphasis on international missions.
The shift would redirect more than $2 million in funding toward the IMB beginning in October 2026. Iorg said the change was made possible because all SBC entities agreed to reduce their allocations, including the Executive Committee, which will absorb a reduction of about $660,000, or roughly 12 percent of its Cooperative Program allocation.
Executive Committee costs
Legal expenses tied to ongoing litigation have declined overall, Iorg said, though several cases remain unresolved, including the Garner case awaiting a ruling from the Tennessee Supreme Court and the Johnny Hunt and David Sills cases scheduled for trial later this year.
While acknowledging continued costs, he said the Executive Committee expects to manage those expenses over time through normal revenue streams rather than priority allocations from the Cooperative Program.
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Resources for training and abuse prevention
Iorg highlighted a newly released trustee training course designed to standardize orientation across SBC entities.
The three-module online course, launched in January 2026, is intended to strengthen what he called “the trustee system as the foundation of accountability, transparency, and trust” in SBC governance.
On sexual abuse prevention, Iorg said the denomination has expanded training resources, including updated “Essentials 2.0” materials translated into multiple languages.
He also announced a new initiative called “Fortify,” which will equip local Baptist associations to train churches in abuse prevention and response.
“We continue to operate a national helpline and have expanded services we are providing to survivors, pastors, and other church leaders,” Iorg said.
Iorg also pointed to ongoing strategy work for 2027 to maintain sexual abuse prevention as a long-term priority.
A force for good
“The mission matters most,” Iorg said repeatedly, framing the phrase as a guiding principle for Executive Committee work. He said the committee’s role is to “facilitate the work of the Southern Baptist Convention” while remaining largely behind the scenes.
“What we do at the Executive Committee should be interesting to Southern Baptists, but not particularly noteworthy or controversial,” he said.
He urged churches to prioritize evangelism, discipleship, and missions over internal debates, pointing to reported gains in baptisms, church attendance, and giving across the convention.
Iorg cited more than 260,000 baptisms reported last year, along with increases in weekly church attendance and Bible study participation.
He also highlighted the work of SBC mission boards, including nearly 3,600 International Mission Board missionaries and continued church planting through the North American Mission Board.
Southern Baptists, he said, “are a force for good” when focused on their shared mission.
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