Too often, negative and controversial incidents about churches and pastors gets more coverage in the news than all the good news of the countless, usually unnamed and not-so-well known, faithful ministers serving in churches all over the world. Compromise by Steve Lawson, Tony Evans, the lead singer for News Boys, and countless other high-profile Christian figures and leaders had a monopoly on the headlines for the past several years in the media.

In their recent June convention, the SBC offered a refreshing Resolution to counteract this trend by reminding the Church of biblical mandates to extol and be thankful for those who are faithful in ministry—especially those who are faithful til the very end. There are the famous ones who lived a life of faithfulness, such as John Calvin, Charles Spurgeon, John MacArthur and others. There are even more who proved faithful that are unknown by the world but are dear to God.

Paul commanded all believers to “appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work” (1 Thess 5:12-13). The author of Hebrews says something similar except with an emphasis on remembering fondly those church leaders who were faithful their whole life, up to the point of death; those that did not shipwreck the faith at the eleventh hour or become a bad testimony in their final days of their sojourn on this earth: “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith” (Heb 13:7).

The following SBC Resolution is a healthy call and reminder for all pastors to persevere faithfully in their personal lives and in their public ministries to their final breath. This should be the case with all Christian pastors, for they serve God first and foremost before they serve man. As you read the following Resolution think about how you might be able to practically encourage and pray for your local church leaders that God would enable them to be faithful to the end:

On Finishing Well in Life and Ministry

WHEREAS, The grace of God has appeared, both “bringing salvation for all people” and “instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age” (Titus 2:11-12); and

WHEREAS, Those who have been called to pastoral ministry are called to a noble task, requiring them to live the Christian life above reproach, characterized by holiness, self-control, and integrity, and to guard their lives and their teaching carefully (1 Timothy 3:1-7, 4:16; Titus 1:5-9); and

WHEREAS, The apostle Paul testifies near the end of his life, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7), setting before all believers and especially ministers of the gospel a vision of faithful endurance to the end; and

WHEREAS, The New Testament regularly instructs the people of God to imitate the faith of those leaders who exemplify lives transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 4:16, 11:1; Philippians 3:17; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; 2 Thessalonians 3:7-9; Hebrews 13:7)

WHEREAS, Hebrews 11 provides testimony of a cloud of witnesses, men and women who endured to the end by faith, believing that God’s promises are better than the fleeting pleasures of sin; and

WHEREAS, The Christian life is likened to a race in which Christians must lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely and to run with endurance the race that is set before them, looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of their faith (1 Corinthians 9:27; Hebrews 12:1-2); and

WHEREAS, In our day what often gets most public attention is pastors and ministry leaders who have fallen into sin and moral failure, who have hindered churches and ministries with scandal, or who have been divisive and unwise in public discourse; and

WHEREAS, Contrary to these negative examples, countless positive examples of pastors and ministry leaders across the Southern Baptist Convention have served for decades with integrity and steadfastness; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida, June 9-10, 2026, express heartfelt gratitude to the Lord for pastors and ministry leaders who, by his grace, labored faithfully over many years and finished well, keeping the faith and maintaining a testimony above reproach to the end; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we honor those unknown servants who are currently shepherding God’s people with integrity and holiness, whose ministries are bearing lasting fruit often not widely recognized, and who by God’s grace will leave a legacy of faithfulness for future generations; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage all pastors and ministry leaders to persevere by faith in holiness, humility, and devotion to Christ, fixing their eyes on Jesus as the source of their faith and the guarantee of its completion so that they finish their course in a manner worthy of the gospel; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we likewise call upon all Southern Baptists to imitate such faith by pursuing lives of faithful endurance and to support and pray for their leaders, so that the people of God together may finish well to the glory of God (Hebrews 13:18); and be it finally

RESOLVED, That our confidence for finishing well is not our own power, but the power of God, “who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy” (Jude 24) and his promise that “he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).