President R. Albert Mohler, Jr. addressed messengers of the 2025 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting with a clear reminder of the denomination’s responsibility to maintain a strong gospel presence wherever Southern Baptists are found. Speaking in his 32nd annual report as president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Mohler expressed gratitude for the faithful support of Southern Baptists and urged continued investment in theological education to ensure a vibrant witness for generations to come.
“In Europe, you can still see the buildings, but in too many places the preaching is gone,” Mohler said, recounting a recent teaching trip to historic sites of the Protestant Reformation. “It is our stewardship to make certain that wherever the Southern Baptist Convention is found, the gospel is thick on the ground.”
Against that sobering backdrop, Mohler expressed profound gratitude that the SBC remains committed to training pastors, missionaries, and gospel workers. “At Southern Seminary, we take that as our first priority,” he said. “We exist to produce preachers—ministers who are grounded in the faith once for all delivered to the saints and equipped to serve the church and reach the nations.”
Mohler reported that Southern Seminary remains healthy “by every measure,” including strong enrollment in its Master of Divinity program. He highlighted the global reach of the institution, pointing to the seminary’s May commencement exercises where graduates represented 26 nations: Bolivia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Lebanon, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, the People’s Republic of China, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.
“When you think about the Great Commission,” Mohler told messengers, “you need to remember that it is visible right in our midst. These graduates have been trained in the Word and are being sent out to preach Christ.”
Mohler closed by thanking Southern Baptists for their faithful support: “We are committed to doing everything we can, for as long as Southern Baptists continue to plant churches and reach the nations, to be found faithful in training the next generation.” In a moving moment following his report, Mohler was asked to lead the convention in prayer following the passing of Jennifer Lyell, a former student and advocate for abuse reform within the SBC. Mohler offered a heartfelt prayer, asking for comfort for her family and for righteousness, healing, and faithfulness in the life of the denomination.