The leadup to #SBC19 hasn’t focused much on officer elections. For the three roles of conventions president, first- and second vices presidents, only one nominee for each office has been announced to this point.
J. D. Greear will, in all likelihood, be elected without opposition to serve a second year as SBC President. While many of us wished he had been elected back in 2016, it now seems providential that Greear was able to provide leadership for what the convention has faced over the past year and a half. Today’s release of Caring Well: A Report from the SBC Sexual Abuse Advisory Group is further confirmation.
The vice-presidential officers normally serve just one year, however. A. B. Vines and Felix Cabrera have served well and collaborated with Greear on a few notable occasions where the offers have chosen to release statements together. I thought it was worth spending a few minutes focusing on the two announced nominees for the vice presidential roles.
First Vice President – Marshal Ausberry, Sr.
Virginia Pastor Marshal Ausberry will be nominated for SBC First Vice President by Vance Pitman. Ausberry is the pastor of Antioch Baptist Church and also serves as the president of the National African American Fellowship of the SBC.
Ausberry has led Antioch Baptist for over 20 years to be extensively involved in international missions work, including close relationships with IMB workers, as well as local ministry. The church has also been heavily involved in a grant program to local Title 1 elementary schools (Title 1 designated schools have a high percentage of students from low-income families.) and a college scholarship program.
Quotes from the BP article reflect words of support from Pitman, who will nominate Ausberry, along with Fred Luter, A. B. Vines, and John Upton.
Ausberry’s recognized leadership already with the NAAF provides additional confirmation that the SBC will be well-served by his election as SBC First Vice President for 2019.
Second Vice President – Noe Garcia
Phoenix Pastor Noe Garcia will be nominated to serve as Second Vice President. Baptist Press reported that Micah Fries will nominate Garcia.
Noe Garcia pastors North Phoenix Baptist Church which saw 97 baptisms this past year and has seen the church diversify greatly in his time as pastor – a better reflection of the diverse city of Phoenix, AZ. He’s also an adjunct professor at Gateway Baptist Theological Seminary, serves on the ERLC Leadership Council, is a trustee at Union University in Jackson, TN, along with several other denominational service items listed in the BP article.
At this point, we are only aware that Ausberry and Garcia will be nominated for their respective officer roles. Because of that, these nominations haven’t been widely discussed, but I thought it was worth shining a spotlight on this positive step for #SBC19. We believe both of these pastors will be an asset to the convention in the upcoming year and commend their election to you.
