Baptist state convention president dies

PHILADELPHIA — Baptist Convention of Pennsylvania/South Jersey president Henry Nash, 62, died in Philadelphia.

Leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention state affiliate credited Nash, an African-American pastor, for his work among minorities. “A majority of the African-American churches that are now part of our fellowship were influenced in a very positive way by Dr. Nash,” said Frank Miller of the Greater Philadelphia Baptist Association.

David Waltz, executive director of the state convention, called Nash’s death “a great loss to our state convention and to me personally.”

Nash was first elected the state convention’s president in 1999. He was re-elected to a second term last fall.