By Carrie Brown McWhorter
The Alabama Baptist
An unwavering commitment to prayer and a strong biblical worldview are just two of the traits Ronnie Floyd will bring to the position of president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Executive Committee (EC), Alabama trustees said following Floyd’s selection on April 2.
Floyd, pastor of Cross Church in northwest Arkansas and a former SBC president, was named the seventh chief executive of the EC at a special called meeting in Dallas by a vote of 68-1.
Jim Averett, a member of Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, Birmingham, and an EC trustee, said he has been “blessed” by Floyd’s “unwavering commitment to prayer.”
“During his time as president of the [Southern Baptist] Convention, he was faithful to schedule time for all attendees to get on their knees before God to plead for God’s guidance and wisdom for our denomination,” Averett said. “He has so ably served in so many leadership positions that he will be ready on day one to lead the SBC.”
Floyd served as SBC president from 2014 to 2016. Hallmarks of his leadership were emphases on prayer, spiritual awakening and racial reconciliation. At each of the two SBC annual meetings at which Floyd presided, an entire evening session was devoted to prayer for spiritual awakening in America.
Floyd, 63, has been pastor at Cross Church for 33 years. His SBC service also includes two years as EC chairman and a term as SBC Pastors Conference president. In 2017, Floyd was appointed president of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, a role in which he has overseen the annual National Day of Prayer emphasis in May. He has written for LifeWay Christian Resources and authored more than 20 books.
Phyllis Ingram, an EC trustee and member of First Baptist Church, Montgomery, said Floyd’s “old-fashioned biblical worldview” and commitment to prayer and fasting are important.
“I believe in the power of fasting, and power will be needed to bring the church to repentance and revival,” Ingram said. “We need a spiritual awakening in our nation, and I believe he is the man for such a time as this. As God tells us in 2 Chronicles 7:14, if His people will repent, He will heal our land.”
Floyd holds both master of divinity and doctor of ministry degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and an undergraduate degree from Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas.
He and his wife Jeana of 42 years have two sons and seven grandchildren. (BP contributed)
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story will be updated as needed throughout the afternoon.
Share with others: