SBC reelects Barber as president, votes on church ousters

Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in New Orleans reelected Bart Barber, pastor of First Baptist Church in Farmersville, as SBC president by a more than two-to-one margin. Barber, the incumbent president, received 7,531 votes—68.38 percent—compared to 3,458 votes—31.4 percent—for challenger Mike Stone, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Blackshear, Ga. The presidential election on Tuesday afternoon at the SBC annual meeting in New Orleans was scheduled before messengers voted whether to affirm an Executive Committee decision to find three churches outside of the bounds of “friendly cooperation”...