Next week Southern Baptists will head to Indianapolis for their annual meeting. Religion News Service profiles the presidential candidates:
The six candidates are vying for one of the most influential volunteer jobs in American religion. Though unpaid, the SBC president has a high-profile bully pulpit to highlight the denomination’s work and often travels the country speaking to Baptist churches and other gatherings. While they have no administrative power, the SBC president also appoints the members of influential denominational committees and oversees the SBC’s annual meeting.Â
The current candidates reflect some of the ongoing debates. Two are big-church pastors of the more traditional Southern Baptist variety, who want to get the SBC focused back on mission and evangelism; two are best known as advocating for abuse reform; and two have ties to the SBC’s conservative critics, who believe the evangelical denomination has become too liberal.
All espouse conservative theology and a love for the SBC’s missionary programs, and all hope to see the denomination’s fortunes turn around. They disagree on how to get there.
The candidates are:
Jared Moore (Gum Springs Baptist Church, Crossville, Tennessee)
Dan Spencer (First Baptist Church, Sevierville, Tennessee)
Bruce Frank (Biltmore Church, Asheville, North Carolina)
Mike Keahbone (First Baptist Church, Lawton, Oklahoma)
Clint Pressley (Hickory Grove Baptist Church, Charlotte, North Carolina)
David Allen (Mid-America Baptist Seminary, Kansas City, MO)
Learn more about these candidates here.