Southern Baptists Poised to Elect First Black President

The Southern Baptist Convention is expected to elect its first black president at its annual meeting on Tuesday

By Jorge Rivas Jun 19, 2012

[The Southern Baptist Convention](http://www.sbcannualmeeting.net/sbc12/default.asp) is expected to elect its first black president at its annual meeting on Tuesday. [Associated Press has more on today’s historic vote:](http://www2.wsls.com/news/2012/jun/19/southern-baptists-historic-presidential-vote-near-ar-1998473/) > The nation’s largest Protestant denomination is set to take its biggest step yet toward resolving its troubled racial past. > > On Tuesday, the Southern Baptist Convention is expected to vote on whether to elect an African-American pastor as its president for the first time in the denomination’s 167-year history. The Rev. Fred Luter Jr. is so far running unopposed. > > Seventeen years earlier, Luter was one of the authors of an SBC resolution that apologized to African-Americans for its past support of racism and resolved to strive for racial reconciliation. The presidential election is not expected to start until 2:50 p.m. Central time on Tuesday.