N.C. pastor tired of SBC 'coronations'

By Steve DeVane

BR Managing Editor

INDIANAPOLIS - Over the last nine years, Dennis Conner grew tired of what he calls "coronations" of Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) presidents.

This year, he decided to do something about it.

What he did was nominate a long shot, virtually unknown candidate for president.

Apparently at least a fifth of those voting at the SBC meeting this year agree with Conner. They cast their ballots for Al Jarrell, the man Conner nominated.

Conner, pastor of Cashie Baptist Church in Windsor, nominated Jarrell to run against Bobby Welch, pastor of First Baptist Church in Daytona Beach, Fla. Welch defeated Jarrell, 3,997 to 1,020, or 79.6 percent to 20.4 percent.

Jarrell is pastor of Riverside Baptist Church in Merry Hill.

"I am under no illusion that Rev. Jarrell may be elected," Conner said in his nomination speech. "I had to beg him to permit me to place his name in nomination.

"But I do so because I have grown concerned in the nine years that I have been coming to these conventions as a pastor that the convention's leadership is growing further and further and further from the grassroots of Southern Baptist life."

Conner said Jarrell's church averages "just under 70 in Sunday school." He said Jarrell is "typical of the pastors in this great convention."

Conner's words were greeted with applause.

In an interview after the SBC meeting, Conner said he doesn't want a "big deal" made about the nomination. He described himself as an inerrantist who supports the conservative shift in the SBC.

But Conner said he has "moaned and groaned and complained" about the SBC elections for six years.

"We have not had elections in the Southern Baptist Convention," he said. "We've had coronations."

Conner said he decided to make the nomination after thinking about church business meetings that he's seen during his years as a pastor. Sometimes people remained silent while issues were discussed during the meetings, but then started complaining before they were "three steps out of the door" after the session ended.

Conner said he has talked to people about why they didn't discuss the items while the church was making its decisions in the business meeting.

"I came under conviction that for six years that's what I've been doing," he said.

Conner said he was surprised that Jarrell received so many votes.

"Frankly, I was shocked by it," he said.

Jarrell said in an interview after the meeting that he was also surprised by the vote. He said he thinks a lot of Southern Baptists agree with Conner.

"We just haven't stood up and said anything about it," he said.

Jarrell said the vote might serve as a "wake-up call" to Southern Baptists.

"We'll just have to wait and see what happens at the next few conventions," he said. "It depends on what the Lord wants to do."