Frank Page, the New President of the SBC

The people have spoken. The votes have been tallied up, and the vote totals as it stands is:

Floyd 2,247 - 24.95 percent

Sutton 2,168 - 24.05 percent

President Frank Page 4,546 - 50.4 percent

This is a landmark moment in the history of the SBC. The anti-establishment candidate has received the majority vote in spite of the establishment candidate receiving endorsements from three seminary presidents and a host of megachurch pastors. Furthermore, two candidates who expressed that God had "supernaturally been drafted" and told by God that they should run both did not receive 25% of the vote. Wow. Don't you love the democratic process? As you know, I have tried to be fair and balanced in my critique and analysis of Dr. Ronnie Floyd, Dr. Frank Page, and Dr. Jerry Sutton. All three of these men are godly men and great pastors. I have not vocalized my pick for the presidency of the SBC, but I believe Frank Page will make a fine president who will take our beloved convention in the changing direction it needs to go. I know that you can read these votes in any number of ways. There will be a ton of spin on for sure, but I just want to make a few observations and share a few opinions. First, I believe Page winning the presidency is just as much a vote against the system in the SBC as it was for him. While it is true that the SBC has been taken down "side streets," those at the wheel in steering the convention are responsible for taking us down these side streets through the narrowing of our cooperation as a convention, the unchecked allowance of criticism against the Reformed constituency in the SBC, and for becoming more and more out of touch with the rank and file Southern Baptists. If there ever is a statement for those who have had denominational leadership in the past to bring us to this point, it is here. The handwriting on the wall has now become etched in SBC history. Furthermore, the Cooperative Program does matter. Honesty, integrity, and transparency does matter. Exemplary living and giving does matter. Finally, what bloggers say does matter. We are, like the majority of the SBC, little people. Two years ago, the democratic voice of the SBC did not have a microphone or a seat in the SBC table. Since then, the 21st century Gutenberg press and the passionate voices of committed Southern Baptists have become the new and alternative media which has informed SBC members and engaged the issues without the pressure to appease, conform, or capitulate to a hierarchy or any other ties which often produce politically correct speech and a muzzled voice. The gavel has landed on the SBC podium, and the resounding verdict is spoken, not from the mouths of an elite few, but from the multitudes of people who with one voice have realized that now is the time for change.