Developments in the Race for Second Vice President

Since I posted my endorsements previously, two new candidates have entered the race for Second Vice President.

Dave Miller, Iowa blogger and principal at SBC Voices, will be nominated by blogger Alan Cross. Brad Atkins, president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, will be nominated by Johnny Touchet.

I'll still be voting for Dr. Eric Hankins, for the reasons that I have already mentioned in prior posts.

John Nance Garner would likely be surprised to see what a coveted office the Second Vice Presidency of the SBC has become this year. It's not possible for the Second Vice Presidency to overshadow our historic presidential election this year, but it appears likely that Nathan Lino's election as First Vice President will not attract the attention that the contested 2VP race will draw.

What may be shaping up is an election that is more a referendum on various ongoing questions in the SBC than it is a decision among the men involved. Atkins's candidacy will likely be evaluated in the light of his unprecedented appearance at February's SBC Executive Board meeting in an attempt to take money away from SBC seminaries and give it to the IMB. That this motion was unpopular among seminaries is perhaps unsurprising, but even the IMB recognized this as a bad idea, formally requesting that it not be adopted.

Hankins is a rising young voice in the SBC whose candidacy will probably be taken as a referendum on his very excellent Resolution on the "Sinner's Prayer" and the "Statement on Traditional Southern Baptist Soteriology." The statement has garnered hundreds of signatures from across the SBC but has also raised the hackles of many Calvinists within the convention.

Miller has characterized his candidacy as being representative of Southern Baptists outside the stronger states in the SBC. Also, he has a long tenure of blogging and has built many relationships in that venue.

While we're speaking about elections, I'm pleased to announce that Parliamentarian Barry McCarty has crafted some maneuver within Roberts Rules of Order by which we will all be able to vote or otherwise participate in the election of Fred Luter. Since Luter is unopposed, normal procedure would be for the Recording Secretary simply to cast the convention's ballot without the messengers being able to vote. I'm delighted that I'll be given the chance to affirm Luter's election.