By Jessica Pigg
June 18, 2022
ANAHEIM, Calif. – In addition to electing Texas pastor Bart Barber as president, messengers elected men to four other offices during the Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting June 14-15 in Anaheim, Calif. Three elections had multiple candidates, and one office was unopposed.
First Vice President
In the election for first vice president, Victor Chayasirisobhon won narrowly against Brad Eubank with 1,711 votes, or 50.13 percent. Chayasirisobhon is the president of the California Southern Baptist Convention and pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Anaheim, Calif.
Second Vice President
The election for second vice president entered a runoff after the first vote, resulting in the election of Alex Sands. Sands, who was nominated by fellow South Carolina pastor Josh Powell, is the founder and pastor of Kingdom Life Church in Simpsonville, S.C., and serves as the president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Sands won with 2,121 votes, or 59.71 percent.
Recording Secretary
After John Yeats announced he would not seek the office again this year, several candidates came forward to be nominated for recording secretary. Yeats has served in the position since 1997.
Those nominated for the office of recording secretary included Javier Chavez, a Conservative Baptist Network steering council member and pastor of Amistad Cristiana Church in Gainesville, Ga., nominated by fellow steering council member and current SBC First Vice President Lee Brand; Nathan Finn, current provost at North Greenville University; and David Roach, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Saraland, Ala. and chief national correspondent for Baptist Press from 2014-2019.
On Tuesday, 5,315 votes were cast for the election resulting in the election of Nathan Finn winning with 2,727 votes, or 51.31 percent.
Registration Secretary
Don Currence, nominated by Amy Whitfield, was elected registration secretary by acclamation. Currence served Southern Baptists in the role of registration sectary in 2018 and 2019 and in an acting capacity in part of 2021 in addition to assisting Jim Wells in the role for 12 years. Currence serves as the administrative pastor at First Baptist Church in Ozark, Mo.
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