By David Dawson and Lonnie Wilkey
Baptist and Reflector
Litton
NASHVILLE — After a tight race that required a run-off, Ed Litton was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention on Tuesday evening at the SBC’s annual meeting in Nashville.
Litton, pastor of Redemption Church in Saraland, Ala., defeated Mike Stone, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Blackshear, Ga., in the run-off by earning 52.04 percent (6,834) of the votes among the 13,131 ballots cast by the 15,691 messengers. Stone received 47.81 percent (6,278).
Earlier in the afternoon, Stone received the most votes among the four SBC presidential candidates, but none of the candidates received the required 50 percent of the votes needed to avoid a run-off.
Stone received 5,216 votes in the initial voting (36.48 percent), followed by Litton with 4,630 (32.38), Al Mohler with 3,764 (26.32) and Randy Adams with 673 (4.71).
Litton was nominated by former Southern Baptist Convention president Fred Luter, who said that the SBC needs “strong, yet humble, leadership.”
“We need a uniter — and Ed is uniquely qualified for that role,” said Luter, before adding that Litton would bring a “compassion and shepherding heart” to some of the difficult challenges facing the SBC. Litton said, “We need a pastor who has a love for God and God’s people. … This is our moment to get focused on the Great Commission.” Luter then closed his nomination by saying, “Take if from Fred, vote for Ed.”
Litton is in his 27th year as pastor of Redemption Church.
Stone was nominated by Dean Haun, pastor of First Baptist Church, Morristown.
Haun said Stone — like King David — would be a fearless champion. Haun noted that Stone “understands that the headquarters of the SBC … is in the local church.”
Haun said Stone would challenge “the Goliaths” that the SBC is facing, including declining baptisms and overarching cultural decline. He said Stone would be a “champion of the Cooperative Program.”
Mohler was nominated by H.B. Charles Jr., of Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist, in Jacksonville, Fla.
Noting that the office of SBC presidency “demands proven leadership,” Charles said that Mohler was “a scholar with a pastor’s heart” and that Mohler “has mentored a generation of pastors, teachers and leaders.”
Charles said Mohler is “a committed Christian gentleman and a pastor’s pastor. … (He) understands the time and the task,” Charles said.
Adams was nominated by Mary Habila, a member of Living Springs Fellowship and the president of the Northwest Baptist Convention’s WMU.
Habila said many SBC churches are “discouraged and disheartened,” and that “(Adams’) dream is for the SBC to continue to advocate the mission of God.”
“He loves our churches and our missionaries,” Habila said about Adams, before adding that Adams would Restore transparency and serve people of every ethnicity.
Following the run-off, Litton met with members of the media.
He described Great Commission/Southern Baptists as a family. “Sometimes families argue in a way that the neighbors get to see it. That is kind of what you have been witnessing, But the reality is that we will leave this place focused. “We will leave this place with a direction, and I believe a better direction for the future.”
Litton said he believes God has called him to help us remember we again why we are a family and what the focus and objective of our family is — which is to get the Good News, the gospel of Jesus to as many people as can hear it.” B&R — A longer version of Ed Litton’s press conference will be posted on baptistandreflector.org later this week.
