Fred Luter Jr., the widely admired pastor of a largely black church in New Orleans, was elected first vice president of the Convention at its annual conference in Phoenix on Tuesday, the highest position yet held by an African-American. Church leaders said Mr. Luter was the overwhelming favorite to be elected president at the assembly next year.
“It’s a historic development for the Southern Baptist Convention and a sign of its future, if it’s going to reflect America,” said R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., referring to Mr. Luter’s rise to prominence. Beyond the symbolism, the president controls appointments to key governing committees.
With 16 million members, the Convention is the country’s largest Protestant denomination, but the numbers are dwindling. Its traditional constituency is aging, and recruitment has not kept pace with the country’s demography. Church leaders say that as the population becomes more diverse, they must act more aggressively to draw in minority churches and follo
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