(1) WHEREAS, from the moment of fertilization/conception, all humans are fearfully and wonderfully created in God’s image by, through, and for Jesus Christ to the glory of God, and all souls belong to Him, thus are a sacred gift of God (Genesis 1:27; 4:1; 21:2; Isaiah 7:14; Colossians 1:16; Romans 11:36; Ezekiel 18:4; Psalm 127:3-5; 139:13-16), and

(2) WHEREAS, as God’s image-bearers from fertilization/conception, all humans display His divine worth, power, and attributes, and thus possess objective and equal worth not varying based on incidental characteristics; such as ethnicity, age, size, means of conception, mental development, physical development, gender, potential, or contribution to society (Rom 1:19-20; Gen 1:27; 9:6; Matthew 18:6; Luke 1:41; Acts 10:34), and

(3) WHEREAS, to murder any preborn image-bearer during any stage of development is a sin violating the sixth commandment, “Thou shall not kill.” (Gen 9:5-6; Exodus 20:13; 21:22-24; Proverbs 6:17; Jeremiah 1:5), and

(4) WHEREAS, from fertilization/conception, a new, fully unique, human organism is created possessing God-given worth, whether implanted in the uterus or not (Jer 1:5; Psa 139:13, 16), and

(5) WHEREAS, all known chemical/hormonal birth control methods (pill, patch, implant, injection, IUD, ring, Plan B/LNG-EC, RU 486) have a final, abortifacient mechanism of action which prevents the embryo’s implantation by thinning the uterine lining (endometrium) thereby causing the embryo to be aborted in the menstrual cycle (Physician’s Desk Reference), and

(6) WHEREAS, the popularity of chemical/hormonal birth control within or outside of the church serves as no grounds whatsoever before the eyes of God for diminishing the moral abomination of destroying our preborn neighbors in the womb (Gen 4:10; Psa 50:21; Prov 6:17; Isa 55:8-9), and

(7) WHEREAS, God’s word declares that His Law is supreme over man’s life and man’s law (Rom 2:15-16; Acts 5:29; 10:42; 17:31; 1 Corinthians 4:5), and

(8) WHEREAS, Jesus sums up the whole of the Scriptures for how we must think and act toward our preborn neighbors from fertilization/conception in Mark 12:30-31, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”, and

(9) WHEREAS, our confessional statement, The Baptist Faith and Message, according to Article XV, affirms that children “from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord”; and further affirms that Southern Baptists are mandated by Scripture to “speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death,” and

(10) WHEREAS, preborn children in the congregation are included in the pastors’ commanded oversight, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood” (Acts 20:28), now, be it therefore

(11) RESOLVED, that the messengers of the SBC meeting in Anaheim, California, June 14-15, 2022, do state that all chemical/hormonal birth control methods which prevent the embryo’s implantation by thinning the endometrium thereby causing it to be aborted must not be utilized, prescribed, or manufactured (oral pills, patch, implants, injections, intrauterine devices, Plan B/LNG-EC, RU 486), and be it further

(12) RESOLVED, that all pastors must educate themselves and their flock on the reality of abortifacient birth control, both in premarital counseling and congregationally for the sake of the lives of the preborn and the sanctification of their flocks, their families, the wider culture, and the world (Psa 119:47), and be it further

(13) RESOLVED, that when we speak on these matters we do so in all humility with grace and truth with great concern for our born and preborn neighbors (Psa 16:11; 118:24; John 15:10-11; 2 Cor 4:5).

(14) RESOLVED, that, because abolishing abortion is a Great Commission issue, we must call upon governing authorities at all levels to faithfully execute their responsibilities as God’s servants of justice, and work with all urgency to enact legislation to interpose on behalf of the preborn which includes outlawing any method or scheme that intentionally causes the destruction of an embryo from fertilization/conception, thereby abolishing abortion immediately without compromise (Mark 6:18; Matt 28:18-20; Rom 13:4, 6).