Baptists Evoke Affirmative Action for Black Positions

Southern Baptists meeting in Phoenix adopted a plan Tuesday to try to boost
minorities in their top leadership posts and elected an African American pastor
as first vice president for the first time in the denomination's history.

Rev. Fred Luter Jr., was elected Tuesday as first vice president of the Southern
Baptist Convention as the denomination struggles to reach out to minorities.

Members of the nation's largest Protestant denomination, which is facing
declining membership, backed the recommendation for intentionally including
minorities as nominees for positions, speakers at the annual meeting, and staff
recruited for its seminaries and mission boards. Exactly ow they would proceed
with their Affirmative Action goals was not spelled out.

Before the vote, Executive Committee President and CEO Frank Page acknowledged
the need for "measurable information" to help Southern Baptists evaluate their
progress on ethnic relations.

"I believe we are living in a day and time where there will be increased ethnic
involvement and increased sensitivity to ethnic diversity within our
convention," Page pledged to the more than 4,000 Baptists at the Phoenix
Convention Center.

"In the principle of honesty, I tell you we have not done as we ought."

The move toward greater diversity comes as the predominantly white denomination
grapples with a 2010 baptism rate that was down 5% from 2009 and a 0.15% drop in
membership — the fourth consecutive year of decline. Blacks, however, reproduce at
much higher levels. See Chick's WHY NO REVIVAL?