Yesterday, Baptist Press reported that Fred Luter will nominate Alabama pastor Ed Litton for SBC President this summer in Nashville. Litton becomes the third announced nominee along with SBTS president R. Albert Mohler and Georgia pastor Mike Stone.
In his announcement, Luter cites his relationship with Litton that grew from pursuing racial reconciliation together, but even more so his shared commitment to evangelism and discipleship. Luter explains, “That’s why I am honored to nominate Ed Litton as the next president of the Southern Baptist Convention. With Ed’s commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission, he is what our convention needs to help us refocus and recommit to the biblical principles of what this convention has been known for – evangelism and discipleship.”
Luter believes Litton is the right person in this season of SBC life. “Ed has a deep love for God and for people…I truly believe he can help ease divisions that are happening among us and point us toward our mission.”
Many people were hoping for other options when they get to Nashville. I, for one, am excited at this development and am pleased that messengers will have the opportunity to make a prayerful choice of men who have already served our Convention in other roles. To have three candidates announced this early is unique (historically, such announcements have been made in late Spring), and highlights the fact that there remains a diversity of viewpoints in SBC life. We have plenty of time between now and the Annual Meeting to weigh the merits of each of the men who will be nominated and, especially, to consider the visions they cast for the future of our cooperative work.
Ultimately, no group within the SBC gets to decide who will lead us. Rather, the next president will be chosen by we messengers who show up to Nashville to cast our ballots. It’s both a great responsibility and an exciting possibility. Looking forward to the discussion as we seek the Lord’s direction together.
I love the idea of having more choices. Sounds like an outstanding pastor.
Amen! More choices is a blessing. I feel like Stone and Mohler each have some significantly concerning issues so other choices are a blessing.
I’m glad to see this. I heard Ed preach at a conference a few years ago and he strikes me as a great man of God.
I tend to think all three mentioned thus far in this thread are “men of God.” Having stated that opinion, based upon having personally interacted with all three, I don’t think we will be making a choice as to whether one is and the other two are not.
I think we will have to make our discussion based on which of the three with fill the position in the most credible way during these troubled times in which we now try to go forward.
I think you’re right, CB. I want to hear each candidate share his vision for our cooperative effort moving forward.
CB…the wisdom you show in this post is truly a blessing – its times like these when you wax so eloquent that we all find ourselves so perplexed at your terribly bad, no good, awful, seemingly brainwashed rants about Nick Satan (sorry for the “misspelling”) and the Crimson Tide.
Pastor Ed served well here in Arizona and was beloved by my in-laws when he pastored Mountain View Baptist Church. He’s got lots of positive connections out here in the west still. Now I just got to figure out how to get to Nashville to vote.
I am excited to hear of Ed Litton’s nomination. Based on his comments in the Baptist Press article, his vision for the SBC is exactly what we need for such a time as this.
Yet another hat has been tossed in the ring. Former SBTS professor Dr. Russell Fuller will be nominating Dr. Randy Adams, who currently serves as the Director-Treasurer for the Northwest Baptist Convention. I don’t recall many years when we have had as many as four candidates.
2008 there were 6.
2008 was an eventful convention. Gun ships trolled the waters. 🙂
Actually, I think 4 candidates is not that unusual. Not every year, of course, but I can remember a pretty good number of times we’ve had that many.
Some of this is from memory, which is not what it used it be. Feel free to fact check it.
SBC This Week shared that in 1963 there were 14 candidates. Dave can share with us about the 1903 meeting when he was first starting out in ministry.
Well. Considering that he published a book in the early 1800s…
https://www.amazon.com/Brick-Walls-Picket-Fences-2015-07-06/dp/B01K3MO5WI/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=brick+walls+and+picket+fence+book&qid=1611261607&sr=8-1&pldnSite=1
I have some issues with randy adams but if he is willing to talk reform across the board, I’m interested.
I am with you on that one, William Thornton.
Maybe the SBC will get up to 16-20 candidates like the Republicans did in 2016 and the Democrats did in 2020.
I hope not. I don’t like the thought of either of those outcomes.
Will you be writing any articles on the other candidates?
Hopefully they will do a question and answer with all candidates as they have in the past.
Three good men, all qualified. I am curious if pressure will come to take a position on CRT. That seems to be what many are concerned about at this point. At first look, I see possibly Mohler and Litton drawing from the same segment of the convention, which would advantage Stone. Will be interesting to see how it all plays out.
I keep hearing from Southern Baptists who are moaning that the denomination is going back down the slippery slope of “liberalism” (which has become a meaningless, ambiguous term applied to anything the person using it doesn’t like) and yet you have a former SBC President nominating Ed Litton, who is as doctrinally conservative and whose record as a pastor is as mainstream, grassroots Southern Baptist as they come. I’d say what distinguishes him from the other candidates is he’s not agenda-driven.
So I’m curious, if this is the developing field, now including Randy Adams, where are the “liberals”?
The “liberals” are hiding under the bed. That’s where the big bad boogeyman always hides.
There are some in the SBC so far to the right even the John Birch Society won’t take them. To them, we’re all liberals.
Good article, Todd. Thanks!
Looks like there is more than one “good” option this time.
Me personally, at this early stage, I have preliminarily narrowed my vote down to two possibilities (and currently leaning heavily toward one of those) but am waiting to see if more candidates get in and what the full airing of the agendas of each reveals.
Mike stone all the way to the top. He’s as good as it gets!
Always thought I would be behind Dr. Mohler and still am to a degree, but yes, Mike Stone would also be a great choice.