The basis of unity among Southern Baptists is not found in uniformity of personality, worship style, traditions, or individual preferences, but in a shared commitment to the truth of Scripture and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Southern Baptists voluntarily cooperate together around commonly held theological convictions expressed in the Baptist Faith and Message.

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At the foundation of these convictions is the belief that the Bible is the inspired, trustworthy, and authoritative Word of God and serves as the ultimate standard for faith and practice. From Scripture flows our shared understanding of who God is: one God eternally existing as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We affirm Jesus Christ as fully God and fully man, whose sinless life, sacrificial death, bodily resurrection, and promised return are central to the gospel.

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Southern Baptists also unite around the biblical truth that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Every person is created in God's image but is separated from God by sin and is in need of redemption. Those who repent and believe in Christ are forgiven, justified, adopted into God's family, and given new life through the Holy Spirit.

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We further share convictions concerning the church and its mission. A local church is a congregation of baptized believers who voluntarily covenant together under the lordship of Christ. Each local church is autonomous and self-governing, yet churches can voluntarily cooperate to advance the Great Commission.

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The Baptist Faith and Message therefore provides a theological framework for cooperation without demanding complete agreement on every secondary issue. It gives Southern Baptists a common foundation centered on Scripture, the gospel, the lordship of Christ, the local church, and the mission of making disciples of all nations.

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Our unity is ultimately not based on our sameness, but on our shared submission to Christ and our shared commitment to His mission.