N.C. pastor candidate for Southern Baptist Convention prez
by Matt | June 2nd, 2008 |
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A pastor at a Southern Baptist Church in Lewisville, N.C., a suburb of Winston-Salem, is one of six candidates for the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Les Puryear, who worked as a telecom executive for 25 years, has been a pastor since 1996; this is his third year as the senior pastor of Lewisville Baptist Church.
According to the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary’s news service, other candidates include Wiley Drake, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Buena Park, Calif.; Johnny Hunt, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Ga.; Avery Willis, a former Southern Baptist missionary and retired senior vice president of overseas operations for the International Mission Board; Frank Cox, pastor of North Metro Baptist Church in Lawrenceville, Ga. and William L. (Bill) Wagner, a former Southern Baptist missionary and seminary professor and current president of Olivet University International in San Francisco (Sep 7, 2007).
Puryear, who runs his own blog, says that Mormons are not Christians. He also quotes several evangelicals and tries to draw a parallel between their rationalization of accepting a possible Mitt Romney presidency with the coming of the anti-Christ.
The Southern Baptist Convention’s 2008 Annual Meeting and various other events will be held June 8-11 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Matt, 22, is an LGBT journalist, activist and youth advocate currently living and working in Charlotte, N.C., where he serves as the Editor of Q-Notes, the Carolinas' LGBT news source. A native of Winston-Salem, N.C., Matt attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is still continuing to pursue his bachelors degree. He is the Owner & Editor of InterstateQ.com and has been active in LGBT advocacy work since the age of 14.
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