Fred Luter made history at this year’s Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) – and brought thousands of annual meeting messengers to their feet in doing it.
In delivering a full-throttle convention sermon, Luter became the first African American to bring the annual message in the denomination’s history.
He made the most of it, delivering a sermon that was interrupted several times by applause and that ended with messengers on their feet, calling Luter back to the podium for a final exhortation.
In many ways, it was a fitting honor for an amazing story.
In 1986, Luter was a street preacher in New Orleans when Louisiana Baptist leaders asked him to become pastor at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church.
The New Orleans congregation had undergone inner-city transition and was down to a few dozen members. Although Luter never had served as a pastor, Louisiana Baptist leaders entrusted him with the church.
He launched ministry focusing on biblical preaching, discipling men and establishing accountability among church leaders and members.
By the end of the century, the church had grown tone of the largest in the state, numbering more than 6,000 members and standing as a perennial state leader in baptisms.
Meanwhile, as Luter’s story became known, SBC leaders embraced the young pastor. He began to speak across the convention. He even was elected as second vice president of the national body in 1996, the last time the annual meeting was held in New Orleans.
Messengers applauded as SBC President James Merritt affirmed Luter would be the first African American to deliver the annual sermon.
However, Merritt quickly added: “But the reason Dr. Fred Luter is preaching tonight has absolutely nothing to do about the color of his skin.
“The reason Dr. Fred Luter is preaching tonight is because he is one of the premier inspirational preachers in the Southern Baptist Convention.”
For his part, Luter quickly acknowledged the honor and paid tribute to African-American leaders who preceded him in Southern Baptist life.
“Tonight I realize that I’m standing on the shoulders of other African-American pastors and denomination workers… who were trailblazers long before I ever was a Southern Baptist,” he said. “My brothers, I honor you for your commitment to the Lord and to this convention. I want to make it known tonight, I am standing on your shoulders.”
Luter then launched his sermon, based on Matthew 9:35-38, in which Jesus is moved by the plight of people and calls on His followers to pray for God to send more laborers to reap the plentiful harvest.
As other speakers before him, Luter focused squarely on the convention theme of evangelism. “The theme of this convention is ‘Until He comes, go,’” he noted.
All have a purpose
Luter asked messengers to consider what a tragedy it would be to have a fish that could not swim or a dog that could not bark or a cat that could not meow.
“Think about it,” he urged. “It would be really sad, really tragic for none of those things to do what God created them to do. …But all of those things do what God created them to do.”
In contrast, consider the pain God must feel when humans do not do what He has created them to do, Luter added.
(ABP)
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