Johhny Hunt Leads Slate Of New SBC Officers
July 2008
INDIANAPOLIS (BP)--Johnny Hunt, pastor of First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Ga., was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention on the first ballot, leading a slate of officers that included two new vice presidents and two re-elected secretaries.
Bill Henard, pastor of Porter Memorial Baptist Church in Lexington, Ky., was elected first vice president, and John Newland, pastor of Fall Creek Baptist Church in Indianapolis, was elected second vice president.
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.
John Marshall, pastor of Second Baptist church in Springfield, Mo., was elected to preach the convention sermon at the 2009 annual meeting in Louisville, Ky. Larry Wynn, pastor of Hebron Baptist Church in Dacula, Ga., was elected as the alternate preacher, while Scott Allred, minister of magnification at Hunter Street Baptist Church in Hoover, Ala., was chosen as the music director for next year’s convention.
Five candidates in addition to Hunt were nominated for president: Frank Cox, pastor of North Metro First Baptist Church in Lawrenceville, Ga.; Avery Willis, retired senior vice president of overseas operations for the SBC’s International Mission Board; William (Bill) Wagner, president of Olivet International University in San Francisco; Les Puryear, pastor of Lewisville Baptist Church in Lewisville, N.C.; and Wiley Drake, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Buena Park, Calif.
Out of the 5,856 ballots cast for president, Hunt received 3,100 votes (52.94 percent); Cox, 1,286 (21.96 percent); Willis, 962 (16.43 percent); Wagner, 255 (4.35 percent); Puryear, 188 (3.21 percent); and Drake, 45 (.77 percent).
Hunt was nominated by Ted Traylor, pastor of Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, Fla.
Traylor said he was nominating Hunt because of his “heart for the nations” and his “heart for the next generation.” Hunt will unite the convention and “forge a hopeful future” focused on the Gospel and connected to local churches, Traylor said.
According to Traylor, Hunt’s heart for the nations has been demonstrated in his church’s mission giving and participation. Last year alone, First Baptist gave $3.3 million to Southern Baptist mission causes, Traylor said.
Over the past 28 years, First Baptist has been responsible for planting 78 new churches, Traylor said. He added that during Hunt’s time at Woodstock, the church has seen hundreds of people surrender to full-time Christian ministry and mission service.
Hunt’s heart for the next generation, Traylor said, has been illustrated through his Timothy Barnabas conferences, which have reached 25,000 young leaders during the past 20 years.
“As you elect him today, you will send an instant message to that young generation that they have a place at the SBC table,” Traylor said. “They love him. You know him. And I believe it’s time we elect him as our convention president.”
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