Johnny Hunt Wins Southern Baptist President
Wednesday, June 11, 2008, 09:28 AM
“Within an hour of being elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the Rev. Johnny Hunt was talking about ‘turning the tide,’ acknowledging the reality that a denomination that cares so much about winning souls is losing too many.By choosing the 55-year-old megachurch pastor from Woodstock, Ga., Southern Baptists picked the best-known name in an unusually large field of six candidates.
Hunt is described as a theological conservative more concerned about revival than fighting about doctrine. His goals likely will be welcomed as a growing number of Baptists acknowledge that steps must be taken to halt disturbing trends in membership and baptisms.
Hunt succeeds the Rev. Frank Page, of Taylors, S.C., who was credited for being a stabilizing force. He sought to build consensus and bring a softer image to a denomination many outsiders associate with incendiary rhetoric and boycotts. He himself was an outsider championed by reform-minded Baptist bloggers, and his election two years ago came as a surprise.
The ease of Hunt's election — he won about 53 percent of the vote on the first ballot — was surprising; with the large field, a runoff was expected. Hunt's closest competitor was fellow Georgia pastor the Rev. Frank Cox, who received about 22 percent of the vote.
At a news conference, Hunt called for radical change and leadership to ‘turn the tide in our denomination.’
He said he would try to unite Baptist around common causes, get younger pastors more involved and hear from a wider range of leaders.
Hunt also spoke of his roots as a Lumbee Indian, a North Carolina-based tribe. It's a biographical detail that might help the overwhelmingly white denomination reach more minorities.
While acknowledging the challenges ahead, Hunt also pointed out that the denomination has grown over the past five decades and stands 16.2 million strong.
‘We have a larger army,’ he said. ‘We ought to be taking more territory.’” (Associated Press)
We here at Bellaire Baptist Church are very excited to have Johnny Hunt as President of the Southern Baptist Convention. Rev. Jeff Harper, the Associate Pastor of education here at the church had this to say, “Johnny Hunt is a man of intense devotion to the Lord Jesus. He will do a great job in serving our convention and leading Southern Baptists in the right direction. Pastor Johnny will take a bold stand on biblical issues and will not back down to postmodernism. His position on key issues like Calvinism and evangelism will only edify the churches commission to preach the gospel to a lost world. Pastor Johnny is a mentor to many young preachers, a pastor to thousands, and now President of the SBC!”
Below is a picture of Jeff Harper with Johnny Hunt taken at a conference this year
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