Louisiana Baptist Convention messengers elected Bill Robertson of Winnsboro as president last week in decidedly easy fashion.
Louisiana Baptist Convention messengers elected Bill
Robertson of Winnsboro as president last week in decidedly easy fashion.
Robertson was elected to the state convention office
on a vote of 792 (59.5 percent) to 540 (40.5 percent) against Jerry
Chaddick, an evangelist from DeQuincy. Robertson is pastor at Temple
Baptist Church in Winnsboro.
The election marked the first time a presidential
candidate endorsed by the Louisiana Inerrancy Fellowship had not been
elected. By the end of the convention, only one of three candidates
endorsed by the group had been elected – Collin Wimberly of Swartz, who
was chosen as second vice president. Wayne DuBose of Minden was elected
first vice president.
The inerrancy group had endorsed presidential
candidates since 1999, proving successful in electing a trio of pastors
who served two one-year terms each.
However, this year, some supporters of the group differed on who should be elected as the state leader.
Both announced nominees affirmed their view of
biblical inerrancy and emphasized the importance of taking the gospel
to all of Louisiana and beyond. They also cited their support of
Louisiana Baptist Convention agencies and the Cooperative Program
unified giving plan.
Both also agreed with the recent shift in the state
convention to a more conservative stance. However, Robertson added that
he has a problem with some of the ways changes were implemented.
In his nomination, Robertson was supported by a group of pastors that
included Gil Arthur, pastor at East Leesville Baptist Church and an
unsuccessful candidate for state convention president in 2004.
In the end, that support proved decisive – and
Robertson now succeeds Philip Robertson of Deville, who served two
one-year terms as convention president.
The new president was nominated for the post by John
Traylor of Monroe, who praised Robertson’s track record of love and
service among Louisiana Baptists.
“Bill has a passion to live according to the Word of
God and the will of God, …” Traylor maintained. “Bill stands under
the Bible. … He will keep Louisiana Baptists and our institutions
anchored to the rock and geared to the times.”
Robertson also will embrace all Louisiana Baptists
and be a catalyst for them to follow the command of the Great
Commission, Traylor said.
“Bill (Robertson) will fulfill our desires for
positive change and conservative, loving leadership,” Robertson
emphasized.
In turn, Chaddick was nominated by Carl Carrigan of
Shreveport, who praised his outstanding qualifications and excellent
leadership abilities. “Jerry Chaddick is both a theological
conservative and a functional conservative,” he noted.
Citing the string of conservative presidents elected
in recent years, Carrigan urged messengers to continue the course. “All
my life, I’ve heard a saying – if it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it,
…” he said. “Fellow messengers, it ain’t broke.”
The margin of the subsequent election between the two nominees was surprising, considering recent history.
Since 1987, Louisiana Baptists have a history of
close presidential elections. During that time, the largest margin of
victory in an election that did not involve a sitting president was 58
percent to 42 percent in 2001. In no other open-year election had the
winning nominee received more than 53.4 percent of the vote.
In later remarks to convention messengers, the new
president said he wished to see Louisiana Baptists remain true to
Scripture. “But I also want us to practice
Scripture,” he emphasized.
Robertson urged Louisiana Baptists not to quarrel among themselves for
three key reasons – because of the men they are, because of the mission
they are on and because of the message they carry.
“We have the message Louisiana needs to hear,” the
new president emphasized. “Jesus lives. Jesus forgives. And Jesus can
meet your every need.
“Let’s not fall out along the way. Let’s join together and reach this state.”
Soon after electing Robertson, messengers also chose
DuBose as first vice president on a vote of 805 (63 percent) to 473 (37
percent). DuBose is pastor at First Baptist Church of Minden.
He was nominated by Step Martin of Shreveport, who praised DuBose as an
example of what a man, pastor and father ought to be. He cited DuBose’s
record in soul winning, stewardship, ministry and denominational
service.
Meanwhile, Tommy French of Baton Rouge nominated
Alan Weishampel for the post. Weishampel is pastor at East Ridge
Baptist Church in Lake Charles. French praised the Louisiana Baptist
pastor as a godly man, a soul winner and a denominational servant.
Messengers elected Wimberly as second vice president on a vote of 347 (54.8 percent) to 286 (45.2 percent).
He was nominated by Scott Thompson of Eros, who
characterized Wimberly as a man committed to prayer and seeking God’s
will. He also cited his preaching and support of the Cooperative
Program, as well as his commitment to evangelism.
Leon Dunn of Hammond nominated Paul Roney, pastor at
Riverview Baptist Church in Alexandria. He cited Roney’s commitment to
biblical inerrancy and characterized him as a peacemaker and one who
has proven himself as a minister, denominational leader and soul winner.