SBC: Elections

by   T. C. Pinckney                                                                                                                                  Vol. XXI, No. 6, June/July 2008

At each annual SBC meeting five officers are elected: president, first vice president, second vice president, recording secretary, and registration secretary. As you would expect, the presidential election is the most significant and receives the most attention.

In Indianapolis six gentlemen were nominated for president, the first time since I began attending SBC conventions in 1985 so many were nominated. The six were, alphabetically, Frank Cox, pastor of North Metro BC, Lawrenceville, GA; Wiley Drake, pastor of First Southern BC, Buena Park, CA; Johnny Hunt, pastor of First BC, Woodstock, GA; Les Puryear, pastor of Lewisville BC, Lewisville, NC; William (Bill) Wagner, president of Olivet International University, San Francisco, CA; and Avery Willis, retired senior vice president of overseas operations for the SBC's International Mission Board.

With six nominees many messengers expected a run-off would be necessary, but Johnny Hunt won on the first ballot. Votes and percentages were: Hunt 3,100 for 52.94%; Cox 1,286 for 21.96%; Willis 962 for 16.43%; Wagner 255 for 4.35%; Puryear 188 for 3.21%; and Drake 45 for 0.77%.

The obvious questions are why such a broad range and why a first round victory.

Much of the voting disparity is probably due to degree of name recognition. Wiley Drake, while widely known, is also considered by many as a bit of a loose cannon. Puryear and Wagner are just not well known. Willis has wider name recognition, but not as much as the two leaders. Between Hunt and Cox, Hunt is definitely better known. But other factors also play.

Hunt addressed the Pastor’s Conference Monday evening, the day before the convention vote. That always provides a boost. Also, Hunt was nominated by Ted Traylor, pastor of Olive BC, Pensacola, FL, who delivered one of the best, most enthusiastic nominating addresses I have heard.

For first VP there were three nominees. Bill Henard, pastor of Porter Memorial BC, Lexington, KY; John Connell, pastor of Calvary BC, Savannah, GA; and Crist Camden, retired pastor of Oconee Heights BC, Athens, GA. Henard won with 1,748 votes or 73.23%. Connell received 377 votes, 15.79%, and Camden got 224 votes, 9.38%.

There were four names considered for second VP: Brian Fossett, evangelist from Dalton, GA, received 582 votes, 22.89%, and Jim Hamilton, executive Director of the Dakota Baptist Convention got 381 or 14.98%, while Doug Mulkey, pastor of Mt. Zion BC, Canton, GA, and John Newland, pastor of Fall Creek BC, Indianapolis, each received 769 votes or 30.64%. President Frank Page noted that this was the first tie in an officer election in SBC history. On the second ballot Newland received 470 of the 807 votes cast (58.24%) while Mulkey received 332 (41.14%).

For recording secretary and registration secretary there was only one nomination each. John Yeats, director of communications for the Louisiana Baptist Convention, was re-elected SBC recording secretary – a position in which he has served since 1997. Jim Wells, director of missions for the Tri-County Baptist Association in Nixa, MO, was re-elected registration secretary for the sixth consecutive year.