Matt Alexander

We didn’t even pretend to sleep well as we rolled out of Air B&B Tuesday morning. The DART train kept its promise of arriving every eight minutes — like clockwork — and Mother Nature added insult to injury with a full-blown Texas thunder boomer shaking the walls well past midnight. Needless to say, we were already brewing with energy as we rolled into the first full day at the SBC.

No breakfast today — just a quick cup of joe from the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. We arrived to find something rather shocking: the business session was actually ahead of schedule. For anyone who has ever attended an SBC, you know this is borderline miraculous. Usually, business sessions drag well into lunch due to lengthy debates and procedural motions.

But not this time. Entity heads were zipping through reports like they were trying to catch a flight. It left us wondering — was this efficiency, or just a lack of substantive business and engagement from the floor? Whatever the case, there was a real concern among the foodies in the room — if we end too early, all the carefully timed luncheons might start late or be disrupted altogether. That’s a serious problem when your lunch plans includes Brisket, Enchiladas, or a luncheon you registered for that starts at 12:00 Noon and not a minute earlier.

To fill the gap, Convention leaders decided to insert an unscheduled worship set rather than extend business discussion. Smooth move… though social media wasn’t exactly charitable. But let’s be honest — any decision in our current culture is going to be questioned. We live in a world where leadership is scrutinized, often unfairly, and very few decisions receive universal applause. That’s true in churches, businesses, schools, and yes, conventions. I feel that X or the old Twitter is the most toxic platform for spewing SBC venom…

When the session paused, we headed to the Baptist21 Luncheon at the Omni Hotel. Box lunch? Check. My choice was the Chicken salad sammich, chips, pasta salad, and a cookie. Tasty — but let’s be real, it wasn’t BBQ or Tex Mex.

What made the lunch worth it was the panel of presenters: Jimmy Scroggins, Danny Akin, Juan Sanchez, Albert Mohler, and our new SBC CEO Jeff Iorg. They tackled every hot topic swirling through the Convention hall — financial transparency, the Law Amendment, the $3 million budget proposal to fund lawsuits, and the ERLC debate. Their insights were sharp, and you could tell they had a good pulse on the room. While they didn’t know the exact how each vote would end up, their words certainly helped shape the mood. At times, it felt like we had already voted and knew the final tally.

After the lunch, we stopped back by the Luther Rice College and Seminary booth to check in with friends and chat about all the amazing things happening there. If you’re a pastor or student looking for a flexible, faithful seminary education — check them out. They offer a wide range of degree programs and even dual enrollment for Georgia high school students. I introduced my good friend John Cross, pastor of FBC Sarasota, to the Luther Rice team. We shared some laughs and stories about our dads, who were ministry friends back in the 70s and 80s. Moments like these remind you — pastor friends matter. In a world that often isolates leaders, those connections breathe life, encouragement, and accountability into the calling. After catching up with John, I made my dinner recommendations to our Luther Rice Friends and headed to the convention floor.

By afternoon’s end, the gavel dropped on Day 1 of the Business. Which meant… it was dinner time.

While many of our friends took our Hurtado BBQ recommendation seriously, Caleb and I joined our Worship Pastor Evan Posey and Lyfted our way to Uno Mas Tex Mex Cuisine. All I can say is: Flavor Fireworks.

I ordered three enchiladas: two Beef Short Rib and one Cheese Enchilada. And let me tell you, if speaking in tongues were real, I would’ve launched into fluent prophecy in Hebrew, Greek, and Spanish after the first bite. (Just kidding… easy there, my Charismatic friends.) But in all seriousness — these enchiladas were heavenly. Rich, slow-braised meat, wrapped in tortillas and blanketed in flavor-packed sauce. The cheese enchilada? Melted glory, glory!

Uno Mas is a hidden gem, and I now consider it a must-visit for anyone hunting down legit Tex-Mex in Dallas.

With full bellies and joyful hearts, we returned to our AirBnB. Unfortunately, Snoop Dogg still wasn’t there to sign autographs — but his signature scent still lingered strong in the halls. Between that, the fire station sirens, and train crossing bells, sleeping was more of a suggestion than a reality.

But even with all the noise — literal and figurative — we were looking forward to the last day at the SBC2025.

More reflections to come.

• Matt Alexander
  Fusion Church Madison