Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will speak at a luncheon during the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting in Indianapolis June 11.
The former Indiana governor is a popular figure among many Southern Baptists, who identify among the conservative evangelical base of former President Donald Trump. Whether Pence’s recent distancing from Trump has made a difference in his popularity remains to be seen.
Pence will speak with Brent Leatherwood, president of the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, at an ERLC luncheon during the annual meeting.
Publicity for the event says the two will discuss Pence’s “journey into politics,” “how pastors can partner with elected officials” and “how we all can engage with hope in the public square.”
Publicity also explains: “In a polarized political age, we hope you’ll walk away encouraged to seek the good of your neighbors, engage in politics in a distinctly Christian way, and work together to be salt and light in our local communities, in our states, and in our nation.”
In 2018, while he was serving as vice president, Pence addressed the SBC annual meeting in Dallas. Then, he praised Trump’s anti-abortion record and move of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
In a June 2023 interview with NBC News, Pence was asked about the SBC’s move toward expelling churches that ordain women as ministers or allow women to preach. That was an issue at last year’s annual meeting and will be again this year due to the second reading of a proposed constitutional amendment that would enshrine this policy clearly.
Pence is not Southern Baptist, although he identifies as an evangelical Christian in the same way many Southern Baptists do today. In the NBC interview, Pence said “women ministers have had a big impact” on him and his family but dodged the question about whether he supports the SBC’s direction. He spoke instead of supporting religious liberty.