WHAT KIND OF PRESIDENT. . . ?

by   T. C. Pinckney                                                                                                                                     Vol. IX, No. 2, February 1996

Each June thousands of messengers from Southern Baptist churches gather from across America to conduct our great Convention's annual business. The budget is adopted, motions offered, resolutions voted, agency reports received, sermons delivered. All of these are important, often uplifting, occasionally inspiring, some inevitably routine. But insofar as setting the future course of the SBC, the single most vital act is election of the president.

Many Banner readers have been elected by their churches, gone to the convention, and voted for the man they preferred for the next year's SBC president. Many others will go in future years. Probably every messenger has a general idea of the qualities he would wish to see in the man holding that vital post. But I wonder how many messengers have really thought through the question and come up with a list of specific characteristics.

Recently I had the privilege of attending a meeting of SBC leaders from across the country during which this challenge was posed: "Describe the kind of man who should be elected president in New Orleans." Following is a synopsis of the views expressed. They are presented simply in the order offered and in the words of the speaker insofar as I was able to jot them down at the time. Speakers' names are not shown because I have not their permission to cite them and they are too numerous to contact individually.

"He should make rock solid appointments. The quality of trustees makes all the difference. Every board needs a small number of strong leaders."

"He must understand issues within the Convention. The single most critical issue now is the restructuring."

"What we really need is a man who is willing to do what God wants, not what will please men."

"I don't care who the individual is as long as his heart is right with the Lord and he recognizes that no one man can make all his appointments on his own. It is impossible for anyone man to know enough people well enough in every state convention. The president must use the network which has developed over the years to verify that potential appointees are what he wants them to be."

"We also need someone with an understanding of the past, the history of the last 15-16 years, how we got where we are."

"He should be someone who will reach out to all our pastors, especially our smaller church pastors."

"He should appreciate the smaller churches and give the perception that those who have worked so long are appreciated, that the conservative resurgence is not losing its focus, its commitment, its sense of purpose."

"We need a man with a genuine image of deep spirituality, someone who understands the big picture."

"Someone very clearly committed to SBC missions, to clearly signal his support of SBC programs."

"Someone who has managed change well."

"Someone who is clearly identified with the conservative resurgence to send a clear message."

"We need to be inclusive but only of those who believe in the inerrancy of Scripture. He should use the network.

“A visionary."

"Someone who will give time to the job, who is willing to serve and is able to serve. Therefore he needs a strong church and a strong staff."

"He should appoint people who will carry the process on beyond the Committee on Committees to the Committee on Nominations."

There you have the ad hoc thoughts of some of the most active and knowledgeable Southern Baptist conservatives. I have passed these comments on to you in the February Baptist Banner in order to stimulate your own thoughts, to impress the importance of June convention votes, especially choice of a new president, and to give you time to decide for yourselves what you believe the Lord wants in our next president.

I encourage you to be in New Orleans Sunday and Monday, 9-10 June for the SBC Pastors Conference for the best preaching worship in the world, and on Tuesday-Thursday, 11-13 June, for the Southern Baptist Convention. The votes each June decide whether Southern Baptists will be used of the Lord or go in some other direction. Before you go, pray and think about these issues. "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."