Southern Baptist Convention happening in Dallas this week

Southern Baptists gather for convention in Dallas

The country's largest religious conference is happening this week in Dallas. It's expected to bring a big economic boost.

DALLAS - The Southern Baptist Convention, the country’s largest religious conference, is happening in Dallas this week. 

Southern Baptist Convention

What we know:

The convention kicked off Sunday and is expected to bring as many as 20,000 people to the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Downtown Dallas throughout the week.

It’s the largest annual religious gathering in the United States and is back in Dallas for the first time since 2018.

The conference is expected to bring a big boost to the local economy with visitors booking hotels, shopping, eating at restaurants, and visiting museums and other attractions.

Visit Dallas expects direct spending from the event will bring in about $12.8 million, with an additional $7.5 million in indirect spending and more than $600,000 in tax revenue.

While a lot of the money will stay downtown, other popular Dallas areas are expecting to benefit as well.

What's next:

The Southern Baptist Convention brings members together to vote on a path forward.

They’re expected to vote this year on a stricter ban on women pastors and work to overturn the Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage 10 years ago, among other measures.

By the numbers:

There are 12 million Southern Baptists across the country, and more than 2 million are Texans.