*This article was originally published at the MBC Pathway.
On April 30th, HB 2426 was voted down with 70 votes in favor and 60 opposed. In order for the bill to pass, it needed 82 votes to advance to the Missouri Senate. It is important to note that HB 2426 would have expanded Missouri parents’ rights over their children. The Missouri State House’s failure to pass this bill should not be met without much disappointment, especially for us as Southern Baptists.
The core sentiment of the bill is that parents have a fundamental liberty interest in their children’s education and healthcare. It seems obvious that parents’ rights over their children’s education and healthcare are an important concern for every parent—and that they are an actual, obvious right. Who else should have rights over our children? It certainly shouldn’t be the government. Do schools have the right to socially transition our children without even notifying parents? The answer is obvious to anyone who believes in the American tradition. Our rights have been given to us by our Creator, not by any government or institution.
Many legislators and political pundits who opposed this bill claimed they were primarily concerned about the legal risk for school districts. The problem is that their concerns are only valid if school districts have reason to believe they may be violating parental rights. There should be no concern from school districts about a parental rights bill—unless some districts do not want parents to have their God-given rights over their children’s upbringing and health.
As Southern Baptists, there are three ways we must respond.
First, Southern Baptists must partner with our school districts. Although some children—in some cases, rightfully so—will attend private schools or be homeschooled, it is in the general interest of our communities to have well-educated children. These young people will be the future doctors, lawyers, pastors, mechanics, and teachers for decades to come. Additionally, we have many teachers and administrators, along with their children, who work in or attend those public schools. We must act in accordance with our faith and, to the best of our abilities, see our churches as partners with them in serving our communities—without wavering in our convictions. Each church and town will have its own course of action for building good relations, but this must be done with both charity and strong conviction.
Second, Southern Baptists must remember that our rights come from God, not from government. The Declaration of Independence rightly states that every human is “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” Although our nation’s founding was not exclusively influenced by Christian Scriptures and history, the declaration that our rights come from God and not from government is an example of biblical truth. The central element of our political theology is the imago Dei—that every human, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, or gender, is made in the image of God and therefore has rights given by Him. Thus, although the Missouri State House failed in 2026 to recognize the parental rights of all parents, that right has been given to us by our Creator, and we must act accordingly.
Third, Southern Baptists must continue to fight for parental rights. Although HB 2426 failed in 2026, that does not mean our fight is over. Southern Baptists and our 1,600 and counting churches in Missouri must press the Missouri government to recognize parental rights over children’s education and healthcare. In the beauty of our republic, we get to make our voices known at the ballot box and to our representatives. Reach out to them, voice your concerns, and support the recognition of every parent’s right over their children.
