The moment had been anticipated for more than a year and all eyes were watching, waiting — the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) would soon elect its first African-American president.
When Fred Luter Jr. was elected first vice president in 2011, the possibility turned to near certainty.
The day finally arrived — June 19, opening day of the 2012 SBC annual meeting, election day. Messengers arrived with an air of excitement.
News media outlets — local, state and national — flocked to the scene, claiming their spots hours before they would even receive the first sound bite from Luter.
Then it was time. A packed convention floor of messengers could hardly contain themselves in what would become “an amazing” display of affirmation for Luter.
The three-minute nomination speech by David Crosby, pastor of First Baptist Church, New Orleans, seemed like hours as he presented his case for Luter in a conductor-style build up, allowing emotions to crescendo along the way.
“Let’s give our ballots a voice and shout out to the world: Jesus is Lord! This is our president! We are Southern Baptists!”
And they did. Jumping to their feet in an extended time of applause, cheers and whistles, emotions ran high. Many wiped away tears, including Luter.
“I’ve never been on this large of a stage. … I … am excited about the opportunity to lead this convention,” Luter said later. “I promise … to do everything I can to represent you and the Kingdom well.”
Also elected were:
First vice president — Nathan Lino, pastor of Northeast Houston Baptist Church, Humble, Texas.
Second vice president — Dave Miller, pastor of Southern Hills Baptist Church, Sioux City, Iowa.
(TAB)
To view a video related to this story, visit the video library.
Share with others: