Published 15 days ago • loading... • Updated 13 days ago

Southern Baptists Elect New President Who Decried 'Drift' in Conservative Denomination

On Tuesday, delegates at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Orlando elected Florida pastor Willy Rice as president. Rice, senior pastor of Calvary Church in Clearwater, Florida, received 5,217 votes, securing 57% of the total ballots cast.
Rice campaigned on a platform of spiritual renewal, framing his candidacy as a necessary correction for a denomination he argues has become too liberal. He succeeds North Carolina pastor Clint Pressley, who presided over the convention for the past two years.
Challenger Josh Powell, lead pastor of Taylors First Baptist Church in South Carolina, garnered 42% of the vote with 3,821 ballots. During a pre-election forum, the two candidates largely agreed on major denominational issues despite differing in style and emphasis.
Delegates voted to suspend standing rules, paving the way for a vote on a constitutional amendment barring churches with women pastors. The measure requires a two-thirds majority in two consecutive years to successfully amend the denomination's constitution.
This election marks a shift from previous years, when abuse reform dominated the agenda. Supporters like Wolfe, executive director of the Center for Baptist Leadership, view the victory as a vindication of their push for conservative reform.

Insights by Ground AI

30 Articles

Joe.My.God.

Southern Baptists Elect "Anti-Woke" MAGA President Who Says Reports Of Clergy Sexual Abuse Are A Hoax

Religion News Service reports: A Florida pastor who has argued that the nation’s largest Protestant denomination has become too woke and liberal was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention on Tuesday (June 9). Willy Rice, senior pastor of Calvary Church in Clearwater, Florida, received 5,217 votes — 57% of the votes cast. His opponent, …

14 days ago

Read Full Article