Who are the declared nominees for SBC president?

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, March 10, 2024

Messengers hold up ballot cards as they vote during the Southern Baptist Convention's Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, held June 11-14, 2023. | Baptist Press

The Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, will hold its Annual Meeting in June in Indianapolis, Indiana. The meeting will include electing a new president.

Current SBC President Bart Barber, who was elected in 2022 and reelected last year, will be stepping down, as the convention only allows individuals to serve up to two consecutive terms.

While it's not common in recent years for more than two people to be nominated for SBC president at the Annual Meeting, 2022 and 2021 saw messengers pick among four candidates.

At the 2008 SBC Annual Meeting, six individuals were nominated for convention president, with Georgia Pastor Johnny Hunt winning on the first ballot with 52.94% of the approximately 5,800 votes cast.

Having more than two candidates vying for an open seat could drive up the number of messengers who attend this year's Annual Meeting.

Here's a list of the four individuals expected to be nominated for president at the SBC's Annual Meeting in June, in order of when the announcement was made that they would be nominated.