At their annual conference in Indianapolis, the Southern Baptists voted to oppose in vitro fertilization (IVF). This nonbinding proclamation was voted upon by 10,000 Southern Baptist Convention delegates or messengers. The resolution calls for the members of the largest evangelical denomination in the country to only support reproductive technologies that recognize and uphold the value and right to life of every human being from the moment of conception.
This decision follows the expulsion of a Virginia church from the denomination for its belief that women can serve as pastors within the Southern Baptist church. While the denomination does not formally allow women to serve as pastors, a formal ban was not approved during the conference.
The approved IVF resolution encourages Southern Baptists to only use reproductive technologies that affirm the “unconditional value and right to life of every human being, including those in the embryonic stage.” However, it does not formally ban the use of IVF within the denomination and individuals who pursue IVF treatments will not face any punishment.
The resolution aims to express empathy for couples experiencing infertility and emphasizes that “all children are a gift from God, no matter the circumstances of their conception.”
The decision follows a ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court that declared embryos as children, impacting the operation of IVF clinics in the state. This ruling came after grievances were filed by IVF patients whose embryos were mishandled, leading to their destruction. Former President Donald Trump voiced his support for IVF availability, aligning it with his stance against a national ban on abortion.
Trump’s views on abortion and IVF align with his calls for the preservation of values such as religious liberty, free speech, innocent life, and America’s heritage and traditions. The vote marks the first time Southern Baptists have addressed the topic of IVF technology at their annual meeting. Additionally, last year’s annual meeting passed a resolution unequivocally declaring abortion as murder.
Prior to the vote, there were divisions among the Southern Baptists on the issue of IVF technology. While the majority are morally opposed to abortion, many are open to the use of IVF technology. Some conference attendees who opposed the resolution expressed their concerns about its potential harm to Southern Baptists and the families who have undergone IVF treatments.
In passing the resolution, messengers also called on their fellow Southern Baptists to “advocate for the government to restrain” actions that are inconsistent with the dignity of every human being, including frozen embryonic human beings. The denomination’s public policy arm has also urged U.S. senators to address the use of IVF, showing that the topic is still debated among anti-abortion Christians.
There is an ongoing dialogue among the Southern Baptists and other anti-abortion Christians about the ethical and moral implications of IVF technology. As President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary R. Albert Mohler Jr. pointed out, the goal remains to address inconsistencies and urge for a unified approach within the denomination and among policymakers regarding IVF technology.