Southern Baptist Convention President Elected on First Ballot – Guest Commentary
Dr. Willy Rice, a graduate of Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, is the lead senior pastor at Calvary Church in Florida. With locations in Clearwater, Crystal Beach, East Lake, Seminole, Safety Harbor, and a Spanish ministry, he now adds Southern Baptist Convention president to this list. Succeeding Pastor Clint Pressley, Rice will lead one of the nation’s largest Protestant denominations in the world.
According to the Christian Post, the SBC team elected Rice on the first ballot with 5,217 votes (57.56%) of the total cast. He surpassed votes for Josh Powell, lead pastor of Taylor’s First Baptist Church in Taylors, South Carolina.
At 62 years old, Rice announced his candidacy last October, citing a need to spiritually renew the nation based on Protestant Reformation values. While the Church is always reforming in a sense, Rice added that it’s time “we receive correction, adjust course and embrace renewal. And it is to that end today that I want to share with my Southern Baptist family my desire for renewal in our time.”
Nominated by Tennessee Pastor Jay Hardwick, Rice is the man for the job. He’s been described as a “man of integrity,” “humble,” “approachable,” and “wise.”
Wanting more than a win from the election, Rice added, “I want a Southern Baptist Convention that is successful, but I want one that is faithful even more … Faithfulness today will bring fruitfulness tomorrow.”
Photo Credit: ©YouTube / Calvary Church
Originally published June 11, 2026.
