In a few weeks, thousands of Southern Baptists will head to Nashville, Tennessee, for their annual meeting. So will news reporters, because the Southern Baptist Convention is huge—4.5 million at last count, making it the largest Protestant denomination in the United States.

The current president of the SBC is J. D. Greear, pastor at The Summit Church in North Carolina. The Summit Church has sent out more than 1,400 missionaries and planted more than 40 churches. Over the past few years, Greear has watched the SBC wrestle through sex abuse scandals, COVID 19, and the contentious presidential election. He’s got a pretty good handle on where the denomination sits and where he hopes it’s going.

In this episode of TGC Podcast, senior writer Sarah Zylstra sits down with Greear to discuss his experience as SBC president, future hopes for the SBC and the global church, and the importance of keeping the gospel at the center of it all.