Fred Luter Highlights from the Leadership of the First Black President of the Southern Baptist Convention
From the Editors of BCNN1 Black Christian News Network
Fred Luter: Highlights from the Leadership of the First Black President of the Southern Baptist Convention Š Copyright 2014. Black Christian News Network. All Rights Reserved. First Printing, 2014 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner, except for brief quotations included in a review of the book.
Introduction When Fred Luter was elected as the first black president of the Southern Baptist Convention -- a denomination that is predominantly white and, for many years in its history, supported slavery and segregation -- many wondered what to expect. Would Luter be just another SBC president? Would his election bring about tremendous diversity and inclusiveness among Southern Baptist churches? Would there be dramatic growth among Southern Baptist churches? After two years of watching Fred Luter serve in the role of president of the Southern Baptist Convention, we can say that throughout his leadership, he emphasized the three most important things for the renewal of not only the Southern Baptist Convention, but the church in America.
Prayer Along with other convention leaders, Fred Luter, emphasized the need for a focus on prayer early in his
first term. The North American Mission Board and the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention launched a 40-day campaign for spiritual revival and national renewal ahead of the 2012 election. In support of this initiative, Luter wrote, "If true change is going to happen in America, it will only happen when the body of Christ is obedient to the Word of God. In other words, we as believers must do the four things that God requires of us in 2 Chronicles 7:14: (1) humble ourselves, (2) pray, (3) seek God's face and (4) repent of our sins." We believe that this emphasis on prayer is the thrust behind the work of God that we see happening among Southern Baptists today.
Evangelism President Luter also emphasized the need for increased evangelism by Southern Baptists. He specifically encouraged black churches to become more engaged in foreign missions. According to Religion News Service, in 2013, "just 26 of the 4,900 Southern Baptist missionaries — or one half of 1 percent — who have served more than two years in overseas missions are black." Luter, who has led his church in
carrying out evangelistic efforts in New Orleans, set the example by going on his first overseas mission trip to sub-Saharan Africa in 2013. The Southern Baptist Convention has faced a decline in memberships and baptisms for the past few years. A renewed focus on the great commission is one of the primary ways the Convention can reverse this trend.
Revival Revival has been the heart cry of the church for a while now. In 2013, we were glad to see that when the Southern Baptist Convention had many issues to debate -- from Boy Scouts to Calvinism -- at their annual meeting, President Luter led the attendees to keep the main thing the main thing. For the first time in years, the convention scheduled an evening revival service. In his letter to conference attendees, Luter wrote, "Tuesday night will be an old-fashioned revival service! No business, other than doing business with God! No reports, no resolutions, no announcements, just dynamic music... followed by the president's sermon." The annual meeting of 2013 was one of the most powerful and Spirit-filled convention gatherings Southern Baptists have had in recent years.
We praise God for what He has used Fred Luter to do in his two terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention. If Southern Baptists, and the church as a whole, faithfully continue the emphasis on prayer, evangelism, and revival, the church will see an unforgettable move of God among His people and in the world.
We would also like to note that even though Pastor Luter is a conservative Christian minister in a predominately white denomination, he did not lose his soul. What we mean by that is: he remained authentically black, and as a Christian, he still stood for what the Bible clearly teaches. He did not feel like he had to say outlandish things (such as 'Obamacare is worse than slavery'). Fred Luter is proof positive that just because you are a conservative black Christian, that does not mean you have to say weird things to try to fit in with the majority white, conservative Christian community.
We are also thankful to God that other than his gaffe in an interview regarding his views on homosexuality, Bro. Luter did not have any scandals or any major
controversies during his term. When he was elected, he recognized that there were great expectations for his presidency and said his "greatest challenge is not to mess up." We are glad to say as Christians and as black people, "Pastor Luter, you did us proud!" -- something we cannot say about the first black president of the United States even though we respect him and pray for him.
As with any leader who serves such a short term, the full impact of what Luter has accomplished will probably not be seen by him in his lifetime. But if the Lord tarries His coming, Luter's time as president of the SBC will positively impact black, white, red, and yellow people for years to come for the glory of God.
This little book is not an exhaustive recording of Fred Luter's time as president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Rather, it is a commemorative account of a history-making event and the significant happenings that followed which BCNN1 reported on throughout the past two years. (BCNN1 also published The Acts of Obama at the end of the first term of the first black president of the United States.) Each entry in this book
is accompanied by a link to a news article or video allowing you to learn more on your own.
Finally, we not only thank God for how He used Fred Luter as the first black president of the Southern Baptist Convention, but we thank God for the good white people of the Southern Baptist Convention, especially Frank Page and Russell Moore and others, who let God use them to make this wonderful act of Christian reconciliation a reality. White folks, you did us all proud, but more importantly, you glorified God.
May God bless the Southern Baptist Convention and may God bless America. --BCNN1 Editors
Biography of Fred Luter Pastor Fred Luter, Jr. was elected the Southern Baptist Convention’s first African American Vice President in 2011, and he made history again when he became SBC’s first ever African American President at the annual meeting held in his hometown of New Orleans on Tuesday, June 19, 2012. The Southern Baptist Convention was founded in 1845. It is the largest protestant organization in America with over 16 million members and 45,000 churches. However, the predominantly white organization’s history is steeped in their support of slavery and segregation, so Luter’s ascension to the top post signals an overall desire by some members to change the culture and brand of the SBC. While Luter’s new position as president of SBC is historic, he has a long history with Southern Baptists. It all came together in what Luter calls his “Road to Damascus” moment, referring to the apostle Paul’s conversion experience in the Bible. An avid
motorcyclist, Luter was involved in a horrific accident in 1977 that left him hospitalized with compound fractures and serious head injuries. He said that after surviving the accident, he realized he wanted to go into the ministry. Luter, who was born and raised in New Orleans’ lower Ninth Ward, had been active in the church as a child, and in 1977 he made a conscious decision to give his life to Christ. With no church to preach in, Luter set up shop every Saturday at noon on the corner of Galvez and Caffin Avenue where he would preach to anyone who would listen. He preached his first church Sermon in 1983 at the Law Street Baptist Church in New Orleans’ Seventh Ward. By 1986 he was preaching regularly at Greater Liberty Baptist Church when he heard about the opening for a pastor at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church. By now, Luter’s preaching had gained him a reputation, and the 65 members at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church quickly approved their new minister. Franklin Avenue Baptist Church was originally an all white church, but as whites moved out of the neighborhood, a result of urban renewal, the congregation at FABC changed to mostly African American members. So, in 1986, Fred Luter, Jr. took
the helm at the small struggling church. Luter quickly went to work, creating an outreach strategy he referred to as “FRANgelism.” (Friends – Relatives – Associates – Neighbors). Everybody needs to be a missionary. It’s about making the main thing the main thing, and that’s bringing people to Christ,” said the affable pastor. Luter also focused his attention on bringing men into the fold. He felt that if you could get men to church, the women will come. “The man is the head of the family. If he comes to church he’s going to bring his family with him,” said Luter. In the beginning to get more men involved Luter would do things like have 20 or 30 guys over to his home to watch a sporting event and then make his pitch for God. “When Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns fought, I had about 25 guys at the house that night. Many of them are still with us.” By 1989, Fred Luter had grown his church to over 300 members. In 1994, practically bursting at the seams, Luter and his congregation began plans to build a new church. Over the next three years, through regular tithes and offerings the FABC faithful had raised enough money to begin construction of their new facility—one that would seat 1,500 people. The word
was out about this fireball of a preacher in the upper Ninth Ward who not only talked the talk, but walked the walk, and as Luter’s reputation grew so did his congregation, ultimately reaching more than 7,000 members by 2005. Over the next few years FABC hummed along with the velocity of one of Luter’s supercharged sermons. But on August 29th, 2005, the church and the rest of New Orleans would be forced to a screeching halt by Hurricane Katrina. Located in the upper Ninth Ward, FABC took on more than eight feet of water. The church was destroyed and members were scattered all over the U.S., struggling to comprehend what had happened while considering the possibility of having to build new lives elsewhere. Fred Luter, however, would not rest. He began the painstaking process of trying to locate his members and get them home. He traveled all over the United States, preaching in cities where they were. New FABC’s sprang up in cities like Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Houston, Texas, but Luter wasn’t satisfied. He wanted a church in New Orleans to serve those members who had managed to make it back
home. Luter’s call would be answered by Pastor David Crosby of the First Baptist Church in the Lakeview section of New Orleans. Crosby’s large church was spared the major devastation that FABC experienced and was able to reopen within a few months. The two pastors struck a deal and in the process struck on a friendship that both say will last a lifetime. For the next three years, Luter held 7 a.m. services at Crosby’s church, all the while rebuilding his own. Crosby nominated Luter for the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention. On April 6th, 2008, Pastor Fred Luter, Jr. danced around the pulpit with tears in his eyes, and welcomed his congregation back to their newly build sanctuary. Many in his congregation said had it not been for Luter’s selflessness and inspirational leadership, they would have lost their God-centered orientation and been unable to come home to begin restoring their lives and one of America’s great cities. Between 2008 and now, membership at FABC has continued to grow. So much so, that the church has outgrown itself and is now in the middle of a capital campaign to raise the money to build a larger sanctuary.
As Luter prepares to accept the mantle of leadership at SBC, he is not naïve about the organization’s past. In 1986 when he took over FABC, his congregation was discussing leaving the SBC. In a move that could be described as fortuitous, he told his organization that he believed “this convention had a heart for evangelism, for discipleship and reaching people in difficult times.” Not knowing what would happen years later, he convinced them to stay. Now, he is prepared to make history as their first African American President. “I trust him,” says friend Crosby. “His presidency is not going to be about him. It’s going to be about the health of our convention. And we need his help. We need his perspective. We need his wisdom.” Luter says it’s a new day in the Southern Baptist Convention. “Our doors are open to each and everybody, no matter the color, no matter the creed, no matter the background, this convention’s doors are open and our churches are open to whosoever will, let them come.” --Franklin Avenue Baptist Church
Highlights from the Leadership of the First Black President of the Southern Baptist Convention May 17, 2012 Interview with PBS Prior to Election as President of SBC The nation's largest Protestant denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, is expected to elect its first African-American president at its annual meeting this June in New Orleans. His name is Fred Luter, and he says the SBC has "a heart for reaching people in difficult times." [Watch] June 1, 2012 Race and the SBC Luter, as the first black vice-president of the Southern Baptist Convention, says the denomination shouldn't be defined by its racial history and expresses concerns about how President Obama has been treated, and the ongoing Trayvon Martin case. [Read]
June 18, 2012 Luter Preaches at SBC Pastors Conference Ahead of his likely election as the first AfricanAmerican president of the Southern Baptist Convention, Pastor Fred Luter got the predominantly white denomination excited -- about the Gospel. He delivered an electrifying message and brought thousands to their feet in enthusiastic applause throughout the last session of the SBC Pastors Conference. His message was simple: the Gospel can change lives. [Read] June 19, 2012 Secular and Mainstream Media Highlight Southern Baptist Convention The secular media usually ignores the thousands of pastors, missionaries and church volunteers who gather every summer for the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention. 2012 was different due to the anticipation of Fred Luter being elected as the Convention's first black president. [Read] June 19, 2012 Election as President of SBC Luter was elected by acclamation on Tuesday, June 19, 2012, as president of the Southern Baptist Convention.
He had been nominated by David Crosby, pastor of First Baptist Church in New Orleans, whose threeminute nomination speech was interrupted four times by enthusiastic applause. [Read]
"When Fred Luter was elected I found myself almost weeping uncontrollably at the sign of God's mercy in allowing, allowing a good denomination to see that sort of healing and reconciliation." --Russell Moore, President, ERLC
June 20, 2012 National African American Fellowship Banquet In his first sermon after his election as Southern Baptist Convention president, Luter exhorted believers to place their trust in the Lord and work through the church to heal today's troubled society. He delivered the message anchored in Jeremiah 17:7-8 at the National African American Fellowship banquet in New Orleans. He said, "God is expecting the church to stand up and be the church and be the people of God that God has called us to be. In other words, the church is supposed to be a light in a dark world."
June 20, 2012 Standing for the Biblical Definition of Marriage Luter talks about the momentous election on CNN's "Starting Point" with Soledad O'Brien. When asked if his agenda will include inclusiveness of homosexuals, Luter says, "No, I'm a man of the book. I believe in the word of God. I believe in the Bible. God has specifically spoken about marriage. Marriage is between a man and a woman. That's biblical. No president whether it's a president in the White House, no governor, no mayor, no one can change that. God has already established marriage between one man and one woman. So I would stand for that because that's what the word of God says and that's what I believe in." June 22, 2012 Interview with Christian Post The Southern Baptist Convention's first black president spoke to CP about his mentors, his wife and love of football. [Watch] June 25, 2012 'Exhibit A' on Diversity In a report by The Root, Fred Luter addressed what his election means for the diversity of the Southern Baptist
Convention. He said, "There's a tremendous amount of pressure. Anytime you are the first at anything, there are high expectations. My greatest challenge is not to mess up... The Southern Baptist Convention is open to all people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. This is real. It goes beyond the studies and the reports, and Fred Luter is exhibit A." [Read] July 3, 2012 40/40 Prayer Vigil for Spiritual Revival and National Renewal Fred Luter wrote an article in support of the 40/40 Prayer Vigil for Spiritual Revival and National Renewal, an initiative of the North American Mission Board and Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission to encourage Southern Baptists and other evangelicals to pray for 40 days from September 26 to November 4. [Read] July 10, 2012 Interview with Florida Baptist Witness Fred Luter talked about his historic election as the first African American president of the Southern Baptist Convention in a July 10 interview with the Florida Baptist Witness. He also discussed the congratulatory phone call from President Obama, his position on race
relations and homosexual marriage, and his goals as SBC president. [Read]
"The future of the country is urban; the future of the Southern Baptist Convention is also urban. We've got to learn how to operate and do our mission and thrive in the urban environment. And Fred brings that. He knows it instinctively." --David Crosby, Pastor, First Baptist of New Orleans
July 11, 2012 Congressional Resolution Introduced U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D.-La., introduced a congressional resolution congratulating the Southern Baptist Convention for electing Fred Luter Jr. as president, the first African American to hold the post. Landrieu notes the historical significance of Luter's election and honors the SBC's commitment to ethnic inclusion. [Read] July 24, 2012 Address to Texas Baptists' African-American Fellowship
The first African-American president of the Southern Baptist Convention and the Jamaica-born general secretary of the Baptist World Alliance challenged Texas Baptists' African-American Fellowship to face life's storms as faithful followers of Christ. Luter and Neville Callam addressed the fellowship's 20th annual conference. [Read] July 30, 2012 Luter on Mississippi Church's Refusal to Wed Black Couple Southern Baptist leaders said the inability of an African American couple to wed at a predominantly white First Baptist Church in Crystal Springs, Miss., is not indicative of the denomination. Luter said the pastor's decision to change the wedding venue, after a few members' reaction because of the couple's race, is an unfortunate, isolated incident from which pastors can learn. "We just have to be aware that the enemy will use anything he can to come against our churches and our ministries with something like this. And so we've always got to be aware that the enemy is out to kill, steal and destroy. It's unfortunate that it happened, but we've got to learn from it, and be able to go on and do what God has called us to do." [Read]
July 26, 2012 Visit with Billy Graham In a visit with the evangelist at his home in Montreat, N.C., Graham applauded Luter's election as the first African American president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Luter said, "Dr. Graham was really excited about the future of the Southern Baptist Convention, and he was real excited that the convention had elected an African American president. He's always been one who believed in the different ethnic groups. There was a time when he wouldn't even have his crusades in a town if other ethnic groups were not included." Luter, who preached at nearby LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center, visited Graham as the guest of Don Wilton, pastor of First Baptist Church in Spartanburg, S.C., where Graham is a member. Luter and his wife Elizabeth spent 45 minutes with Graham, Wilton and family members. [Read] August 4, 2012 Black Church Leadership and Family Conference Luter exhorted African American believers to heighten their denominational involvement while also seeking spiritual renewal as he addressed the Black Church Leadership and Family Conference at the LifeWay
Ridgecrest Conference Center. He told the 1,200 attendees at the conference, also known as Black Church Week, they must first be fully renewed by God before they can expect to be fully utilized by God. [Read]
"Luter's presidency was more of a proclamation than a coronation. I think he unapologetically knows what he believes and stands behind it. He is not licking his fingers and sticking them in the air to see where the wind is blowing. He's confident. He stands consistently behind what he believes. People want to follow a leader like that." --Kevin Ezell, President, National American Mission Board
August 20, 2012 Preaching at Lakeview Baptist Church Luter spoke to members of Auburn, AL's Lakeview Baptist Church in his message entitled "The Power of the Gospel," stressing the importance of believers sharing God's message with one another. He said, "Our nation is in trouble, our state is in trouble, our
communities are in trouble and I believe the only thing that will change people's lives is the Gospel of Jesus Christ." [Read] September 11, 2012 Goals for the SBC Luter Jr. discussed his goals with more than 100 Kansas City-area pastors and denominational workers after delivering a chapel message at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo., on Sept. 11. Luter said he plans to be an advocate for spiritual revival which is essential to the SBC's success. He said, "It all starts with revival. Revival starts in the pulpit, with the preachers. You can't expect revival in the pew if it doesn't first happen in the pulpit. So we need pastors and congregations to call out for revival... then let's watch God do what He does best in this convention." Greater African American involvement in SBC life, increased financial giving and the retention of young people in church bodies are also Luter's goals. [Read] September 17, 2012 First Presidential Address to SBC Executive Committee Luter pledged to work with all Southern Baptist
Convention entities to accomplish their Kingdom goals in his first presidential address to the SBC Executive Committee in Nashville, Tenn. Luter called his service as president a "sacred oath" and described himself as a team player. He said, "Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, instead of implementing something that will take a long time to implement and complete, my prayer and my vision is to go to these brothers and sisters across our convention, and say in the short window that I have, 'What can I do as SBC president to help you to carry out your vision and your goal that God has assigned for you to do?'" [Read] November 7, 2012 Reaction to Re-Election of President Obama Luter responded to the re-election of Barack Obama by reminding Christians that the Bible encourages them to pray for those in authority regardless of their political affiliation. He said, "As citizens of the United States, it's now time for us to put away our yard signs and buttons and [pray for] our president. Our nation is in trouble, and we need Believers to pray God's will be done in America. We need to understand it's only going to happen because the people of God start praying for revival in America." He added, "Even though we've just elected a president, it's not
dependent on the president, but on the people of God doing our part." [Read] November 14, 2012 Address to the Georgia Baptist Convention Luter traveled to Warner Robins to speak at the annual meeting of the Georgia Baptist Convention at Second Baptist Church. He delivered a message about not being ashamed of the gospel and fulfilling the Great Commission of Christ found in Matthew 28:16-20. [Read] November 21, 2012 Listed on EBONY's 100 "Power List" Luter was named on EBONY's 100 Power List. [Read] November 28, 2012 Speaking at Liberty University Luter spoke to students at the world's largest Christian university about the importance of having a renewed mind in Christ. From Scripture, he reminded students that their minds are always being tempted and enticed by the enemy to want to sin and showed how they can overcome that by focusing the mind on Christ, the cross, and good choices. [Read/Watch]
December 2, 2012 U.S. Senate Approves Congratulatory Resolution It's was a little late, but the Senate finally got around to congratulating Rev. Fred Luter Jr. for his June election as president of the Southern Baptist Convention. The resolution was offered by Sen. Mary Landrieu. [Read] January 2013 A Call to Prayer Luter encouraged churches to participate in the SBC Call to Prayer during January 2013. The initiative focused on churches and individuals impacting their community, their nation and the world through united prayer for spiritual awakening. [Watch]
"Fred Luter is a prince of a person. He loves the Lord and loves people. He’s the same every time you see him. He has a wonderful family. Of all the qualifications for president of anything, these personal qualities should be first in importance. Fred is a man of integrity. The Southern Baptist Convention elected Fred Luter because of the 'content of his character.'" --Waylon Bailey, Pastor, First Baptist Covington,
January 23, 2014 Receiving the Carver Medal from Simpson College Luter was awarded the Carver Medal of Simpson College. The Iowa school hailed Luter as exemplifying the commitment and service of the late agricultural scientist, inventor and Christian, George Washington Carver. John Byrd, president of the private United Methodist Church-related college in Indianola, recognized Luter as courageous and committed to faith in Christ in the face of challenging obstacles. He said, "I believe George Washington Carver would have recognized some of his own experiences in the life of Rev. Fred Luter... George Washington Carver knew about facing challenges and never giving up. He was also a man of unwavering faith." [Read] April 2013 President Luter and the TruNews Homosexuality Controversy In an interview on TruNews, with host Rick Wiles, Luter said that "it could be a possibility" that threats being made by N. Korea were a result of the country's slide toward acceptance of homosexuality. After criticism, Luter went on CNN to clarify his statement saying, "I don't think there's any connection about what the guy's doing in North Korea and what's
happening here in America today, none at all." [Read] April 11, 2013 Speaking at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary In a chapel service at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Luter called on Southern Baptists to cultivate a renewed mind, saying, "The enemy will do all that he can to attack the minds of the sons and daughters of God." Preaching from Philippians 2:5-8, Luter echoed the exhortation of the apostle Paul to "have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus." Russell D. Moore, dean of the School of Theology and then-president-elect of the SBC's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, introduced Luter, saying, "He is the first African-American president of the Southern Baptist Convention, a convention formed out of two contradictory impulses: to share the gospel throughout the world and to protect the antichrist idolatry of slavery and white supremacy. The gospel won." Luter also congratulated Moore for his election as president of the ERLC. [Read] June 11, 2013 Re-Election as president of SBC The Southern Baptist Convention re-elected Luter at
its annual meeting. Luter was unopposed for reelection and received a standing ovation. Southern Baptist presidents can serve a maximum of two oneyear terms. [Read]
"Fred's leadership as president of the SBC has been great. He is the man for the hour." --Mark Ballard, President, Northeastern Baptist College
June 12, 2013 Sermon at Southern Baptists' Annual Meeting In an impassioned sermon during his first opportunity to address the Southern Baptist Convention after being re-elected as president for a second term, Luter said the time spent debating and arguing over theological differences among church members could be used instead to reach out to non-believers. He said, "Because of our love for the Scripture we've had some differences of opinion, but the problem is that while we are arguing about these topics, lost men, women, boys, and girls are dying and going to hell every single day. While we are arguing about these topics and debating about these topics, America is going to hell
every day." [Read] June 12, 2013 Southern Baptists Opposing Boy Scouts' Policy on Homosexual Youth Southern Baptists approved a resolution opposing the membership policy of the Boy Scouts of America that allow openly homosexual youth. The messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention approved the resolution which expressed "opposition to and disappointment in" the change in the membership policy. The resolution, however, stopped short of recommending that churches cut ties with the Scouts, though it expressed support for churches and families that make such a decision. [Read] June 15, 2013 Luter's Church Stops Hosting Boy Scouts After Southern Baptists approved a resolution to express their opposition to the Boy Scouts of America's decision to accept openly homosexual scouts, Luter said the church that he pastors, Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, will no longer host the Boy Scouts. He said, "I had no doubt our convention would take a stand on this issue. We believe in the Bible... They were trying to be politically correct [the Boy
Scouts]. There's nothing that can be politically right if it's biblically wrong." [Read] June 22, 2013 Speaking in Theodore, LA Luter spoke at the annual meeting of James E. Messer Ministries at First Baptist Church in Theodore, Louisiana. He said that he sees it as his duty to reach out to the small churches that make up a large percentage of the Southern Baptist Convention. In an interview prior to the meeting, he said, "As president, I want to reach out to these churches and let them know that they are important to us and critical to the life of this convention. That’s one of my goals, to make it known that not only is this convention catering to large churches, but it’s catering to small churches and small associations. The fact of the matter is, most of our churches in this convention are 200 members or less." While in Theodore, he also prayed over a new predominantly black congregation that was applying to join the Southern Baptist Convention. [Read] June 22, 2013 Interview with AL.com on Goals for Second Term Luter spoke about his goals for hi second term as
president of the Southern Baptist Convention. He said, "I would like to continue my travels, going around to different places but also break down the racism walls that have been a part of the convention for many, many years. They’re coming down day by day, week by week, month by month... Two weeks ago when I was elected again to my second term, I ran unopposed. This convention is now ready to open our doors up to all ethnic groups to let everybody know that this convention is open to everyone." [Read]
"He did what everybody said couldn't be done. He achieved the most respected thing among Southern Baptists—we're a people who believe in reaching people for the Lord and building churches. He did it and earned great respect." --Paige Patterson, President, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
June 20, 2013 Pushing for More Mission Activity In an interview with Religion News Service, Luter spoke of his desire to see more members of his New
Orleans congregation — as well as more of the nation’s 16 million Southern Baptists — to take overseas missions seriously. He wants more of his denomination’s relatively small black population to serve as missionaries. Luter also took a mission trip to sub-Saharan Africa. He said, "It was inspirational, but also very humbling in a lot of instances, just to see how some people are living." [Read / Watch] December 25, 2013 Fred Luter Sides with Phil Robertson of "Duck Dynasty" on Homosexuality, but Rebukes him for Racist Comments Luter supported Phil Robertson's biblical views on homosexuality but disputed the "Duck Dynasty" patriarch's memory of race relations before the Civil Rights movement. He said back then in Louisiana there was nothing happy about segregation or "being hung in a tree because of your race." [Read] February 6, 2014 Interview with ERLC The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention published an interview with Pastor Luter about his challenges as a minister,
his view of racism in the SBC and why denominations still matter. [Read] February 26, 2014 Preaching in Maylene, AL Luter preached a sermon titled "The Ultimate Battle" (John 10:7-11) at the Community Baptist Church in Maylene, Alabama. [Watch] March 11, 2014 Speaking at Empowered Conference Luter spoke at the 2014 Empowered Conference in Hampton, Virginia. [Watch] April 26, 2014 Continued Focus on Prayer and Revival With a desire to keep the focus of the convention on the power of revival and prayer, Luter spoke about the theme of the SBC's annual meeting in Baltimore. The theme is "Restoration and Revival through Prayer." Luter noted the return of a Tuesday evening revival service — similar in style to 2013's — that drew positive feedback from participants. Luter said, "I wanted to again stay with the theme [of] revival, but let’s undergird it with prayer." [Read]
April 26, 2014 Making Appointments to the Committee on Committees Luter announced appointments to the Southern Baptist Convention’s Committee on Committees in New Orleans. Luter announced the appointments in accordance with SBC Bylaw 19, which calls for providing notice to Southern Baptists of the appointees well in advance of each year’s convention. The Committee on Committees assembled in Baltimore just prior to the SBC’s June 10-11 annual meeting to nominate members of the Committee on Nominations who, in turn, nominated trustees for the boards of SBC entities. [Read] April 28, 2014 Visit to Northeastern Baptist College Encouraging pastors in one of America’s most unreached areas and preaching at the region’s new Baptist college were on Fred Luter’s agenda when he visited Vermont. Luter spent two days at Northeastern Baptist College in Bennington, VT, and met with local Green Mountain Baptist Association pastors. After touring the college’s main campus and library facilities, Luter gathered with the executive team and
learned about NEBC’s vision for preparing students to evangelize the world, especially New England and the rest of the northeast U.S. NEBC President Mark Ballard said the school was “blessed beyond measure” by Luter’s visit. [Read]
"Fred Luter stood with conviction and compassion and shepherded his flock after Katrina, when he could have gone anywhere, had a comfortable ministry, and chalked the move up to the ‘calling of the Lord.’ He's never hesitated to persecute the Devil by preaching the poured out blood of the living Christ." --Russell Moore, President, ERLC
April 29, 2014 Help for Fallen Pastors In a two-part interview on FallenPastor.com, Luter discussed the differences in how white churches and African-American churches handle situations where a pastor has fallen into sin. He also offered advice on how churches should handle such situations and the path to a pastor's restoration. [Read: Part 1, Part 2]
May 21, 2014 Evangelism Rally in Elizabethtown, KY Luter brought his energetic and rhythmic preaching style to an evangelism rally at Severns Valley Baptist Church in Elizabethtown, KY. [Read] June 6, 2014 Reflecting on 2 Years as President of the SBC On the cusp of completing his two-year presidential tenure as the first African American president of the Southern Baptist Convention, Pastor Fred Luter sat down for a question-and-answer session with the Baptist Message, the newsjournal of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. MESSAGE: Would you reflect on being president of the Southern Baptist Convention for the past two years? LUTER: It has truly been overwhelming to serve in such a position. On one hand, you are doing your best to visit as many churches, associations, state conventions, seminaries, colleges and entities as your time and schedule permit. On the other hand, you are getting phone calls, emails, texts from people all across the country making
all kinds of requests from book endorsements, writing letters for all types of events, to media requests for interviews on current events happening in our country as well as throughout the world. Then, to add to that I have to still maintain my most important roles as a husband, father and pastor. Whew! MESSAGE: What do you think you were able to accomplish during your time as president? LUTER: I have been truly proud to visit a lot of smaller churches, associations and conventions where it is the very first time an SBC president has been there. I also think I was able to accomplish more diversity in meetings across the country and our convention. There is more participation from ethnic groups getting involved in the SBC. Finally, I believe I was able to remind our churches and convention of how important revival and prayer are to us carrying out the Great Commission. [Read]
"Fred Luter represents the best of what Southern Baptists would look for in a leader. He is the face of the convention to the broader public. He is the encapsulated representative of what we believe our highest values are both in terms of demeanor and in terms of spirit and in terms of spirituality and in terms of genuine godly piety." --Sing Oldham, Vice-president of Communications for the Southern Baptist Convention's business leadership arm
“While we are arguing about these topics lost men, women, boys and girls are dying and going to hell every single day... We have lost folk who are burning in a lake of fire, while many of us are debating about which hose to pick up to put the fire out.” --Fred Luter President, Southern Baptist Convention, 2012-2013 From his sermon at the SBC’s annual meeting in Houston in 2013