Southern Baptist Convention Re-Elects Elliff President

The Southern Baptist Convention re-elected the Rev. Tom Elliff president on Wednesday. The pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Del City, Okla., was unopposed. The Rev. Ralph Smith, retired pastor of Hyde Park Baptist Church in Austin, described Dr. Elliff as “a man of integrity” who “stands squarely on the word of God.”

At a news conference after his election, Dr. Elliff described the convention atmosphere as “positive” and “encouraging,” even though only about 12,000 Southern Baptists had registered at the Dallas Convention Center by Tuesday afternoon.

In 1985, when the convention last met in Dallas, 45,000 delegates were on hand.