the southern baptist convention (sbc)] is a united states-based christian denomination. while most of the churches that make up the sbc are in the usa, some are outside of the usa. the convention began in the southern united states, it is now "in name only" that the denomination is southern and more members are in that region other regions. the name "southern baptist convention" refers both to the denomination and to its annual meeting of members. they split from the northern baptists in 1845 over the slavery question. at the time, the sbc was against ending slavery. since then, the sbc has corrected, apologized, and denounced slavery as evil and sinful. some southern baptists refer to the convention as the great commission baptist convention, which the denomination also accepts.