In this episode of the Lead On podcast, Jeff Iorg, president of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, discusses the importance and implications of church autonomy in his podcast. He explains that autonomy, meaning self-governing and self-determining, is a core Baptist principle allowing churches to independently manage their leaders, finances, doctrine, and practices. This extends to associations and conventions, which are also autonomous. While autonomy fosters church strength, innovation, and doctrinal consistency, it can also lead to challenges like lack of intervention in struggling churches and limited accountability. Despite these downsides, Iorg emphasizes the positives, advocating for the autonomy of churches to maintain their unique approaches and responsibilities in ministry.