The Southern Baptist Convention’s Pastor’s Conference had what Religion News Service described as a “hotly contested” election for the conference’s presidency on June 13.
Notably, Voddie Baucham Jr., a well-known preacher who was backed by an SBC sub-group known as the Conservative Baptist Network (CBN), did not secure the vote for conference president.
Even though the role of the president of the two-day conference is minimal during the actual event, the chosen candidate is given the opportunity to choose speakers and plan the agenda for the following years’ event. Baucham is known for being critical of social justice causes within the SBC, as are many if not most members of the CBN.
Baucham garnered 608 votes to the 690 that Daniel Dickard of Friendly Avenue Baptist Church in Greensboro, N.C. received. RNS continues:
The vote was accompanied by controversy, as an initial round, in which pastors were asked to stand to show their preference, proved inconclusive, and the conference moved to a paper ballot. As the conference adjourned for dinner while ballots were counted, accusations of ballot stuffing and photos of nonpastors began circulating on social media. Fifty-nine votes were eventually disallowed.
“This would not have changed the results,” said Matt Henslee, the outgoing president.
Read the entire story here.
Image: Screencap/Youtube-Coral Ridge
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