Outgoing Southern Baptist Convention President Clint Pressley used his final presidential address to challenge Southern Baptists to embrace humility and reject pride, warning that unchecked self-importance can damage relationships, weaken churches, and hinder the Christian witness.
Speaking to thousands of messengers gathered in Orlando, Florida, for the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, Pressley reflected on lessons learned during his two-year tenure as president and called fellow believers to cultivate a deeper awareness of their dependence on God.
"We need to learn to hate pride," Pressley said, clarifying that he was speaking specifically about pride in oneself. He suggested that many of the conflicts and tensions experienced within churches and denominational life could be alleviated through greater humility and grace toward one another.
Drawing from Ephesians 4:1-3, Pressley emphasized the importance of walking in lowliness, meekness, patience, and love. He encouraged Southern Baptists to develop what he described as self-awareness, Christ-awareness, and God-awareness. According to Pressley, true self-awareness requires an honest recognition of one's own sinfulness, while Christ-awareness focuses believers on the example and lordship of Jesus Christ. God-awareness, he said, reminds Christians that God alone is sovereign over every circumstance and every life.
"God is the Potter and we are the clay," Pressley told messengers. "God has the sovereign right to do with us His will and with other people His will."
A significant portion of Pressley's message focused on self-control, which he connected to the biblical concept of meekness. He explained that meekness does not mean weakness but rather strength brought under control for God's purposes. Comparing the concept to the training of a powerful animal, Pressley argued that God desires to shape believers' natural abilities into something useful for His kingdom.
"Taking that which God has made you, the natural ability that you have, and having it trained into something that is useful for the Kingdom," he said, "something that is focused, directed, intentional, good, useful, and Christian."
One of the strongest moments of the address came when Pressley addressed Christian conduct and personal discipline. He warned that believers who fail to control their speech, attitudes, and tempers undermine their testimony before others.
"If you are a man who calls yourself a Christian, but you don't have self-control over your foul mouth or your bad attitude or your temper, then don't tell people you're a Christian," Pressley said. "It embarrasses us."
Pressley also reflected on the humbling nature of serving as SBC president, noting that leadership often exposes individuals to criticism and opposition. Rather than fostering resentment, he said such experiences can serve as reminders that pride has no place in the life of a follower of Christ.
The pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, was first elected SBC president in 2024 and reelected in 2025. During his tenure, Southern Baptists experienced continued growth in baptisms, church planting efforts, missionary engagement, and cooperative giving.
As his presidency comes to a close, Pressley leaves Southern Baptists with a final challenge centered not on programs or strategies, but on character. His message called the denomination to pursue humility, exercise self-control, and remain focused on Christ as Southern Baptists continue their mission of advancing the Gospel around the world.
