Home Christian News New SBC President Ed Litton Talks About CRT, Women in Leadership, and...

New SBC President Ed Litton Talks About CRT, Women in Leadership, and Sexual Abuse in Press Conference

Beth Moore, who no longer identities as a Southern Baptist tweeted: “@EdLitton I thank God with all my heart.”

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary’s President and fellow nominee Albert Mohler said: “The Southern Baptist Convention has a new president, @EdLitton, who now fully deserves our prayer and encouragement. If I can ever help, I am a phone call away. #SBC2021 #SBC21”

Pastor Randy Adams, who was another nominee, tweeted: “We gave it our best shot, all the way from the Northwest! Thank you everybody. I do believe our message of #Transparency #Accountability #Participation #Partnership have made a lasting impact in #SBC21”

Former ERLC Vice President and Pastor Phillip Bethancourt offered his congratulations and hope: “Congrats to @EdLitton who was just elected SBC president! There are bright days ahead as we unify around our gospel mission! #SBC21

President of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Daniel Akin posted on Twitter: “Congratulations @EdLitton on your election as president of @GreatComBaptist! Thankful for you. We will be praying for you my brother as you lead us.

Pastor Dwight McKissic posted: “Repeatedly being asked, am I going to remain in the SBC. Integrity demands that I do so. Resolution 9 was/is untouched & Ed Litton, a man who has a good track record & right heart on race, was elected president. Therefore, I will remain. SBC is in good hands with Litton.”

Pastor Fred Luter Gives Ed Litton’s Nomination Speech

Each candidate is officially announced by a Southern Baptist messenger who briefly gives a nomination speech as to why they’d vote for their candidate. Former SBC president Fred Luter gave Ed Litton’s nomination and speech, in which he said:

Friends, the SBC has reached a tipping point: our numbers are down, matched only by a decline in trust toward one another. What we need is neither heated rhetoric on one hand or unity-at-all costs on the other hand. We need strong-yet-humble and bold-yet-kind, leadership…Friends, we need a uniter, and Ed is uniquely that. In a time when conservative Southern Baptist African American leaders are questioning their connection to the convention, Ed has uniquely shown his commitment to racial reconciliation. Ed will also lead us to partner with our mission agencies to see a greater focus on the great commission—not another fight, but greater mission! Ed can uniquely do that! Ed is a committed, soul-winning, missions-supporting, inerrantist who believes the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 is our standard for cooperation. And so do I.

In the face of some very difficult but necessary conversations in our SBC family about abuse, Ed Litton brings a compassionate and shepherding heart. Messengers, we need a pastor who understands what it is like to lead a church. We need a pastor who has love for God and for people…Adrian Rogers said that during the Conservative Resurgence those who believed the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God were on the battlefield, shoulder to shoulder. We won that battle, but then retreated to the barracks. Now we are no longer shoulder to shoulder, but face to face. And since we are so used to fighting, we are no longer fighting an enemy on the battlefield; we are now fighting our brother in the barracks. Southern Baptists, it is time to get out of the barracks.

Former ERLC Leaders’ Leaked Letters and Audio

With less than 600 votes separating Litton and Stone, it is possible former ELRC leaders Dr. Russell Moore’s and Phillip Bethancourt’s leaked letters and audio recordings had some influence in the election.

The recordings and letters raised concerns regarding Mike Stone’s character and whether or not he was fit to lead as president of the SBC.