For the first time in 10 years, the National Baptist Convention USA — among Baptist denominations, second only in size to the Southern Baptist Convention — has a new president: the Rev. Julius Scruggs, pastor of First Missionary Baptist in Huntsville, Ala. He was elected Sept. 10 during the Annual Session in Memphis.
Scruggs defeated a former president, the Rev. Henry Lyons of Florida 4,108 to 924. Lyons, of New Salem Missionary Baptist in Tampa, staged a comeback after serving about five years in prison for embezzling about $4 million from the denomination. In court, it was shown he spent the money on luxury homes and jewelry for mistresses.
Clergy in the Columbus-Phenix City area who attended the convention expressed widespread support for Scruggs.
“Dr. Scruggs is my friend. I blush to hear his name,” said the Rev. Raymond Cochran of Franchise Missionary Baptist Church in Phenix City. Cochran and Scruggs have worked closely in the state convention. Scruggs has preached at Cochran’s church before.
“That’s the man who saved the Alabama Baptist Convention,” Cochran said.
In his tenure as head of the state convention, Scruggs helped save Selma University from collapse. He led the state Convention and Selma University in liquidating a $2.6 million mortgage and saving Selma University’s 253 acres of land in Hale County, Ala.
Scruggs replaces the Rev. William Shaw of Philadelphia, who has led the convention since 1999. Lyons was president of the national convention from 1994-99.
In interviews Sept. 11, Scruggs said says he’s seeking unification following an election in which his opponent went to court to challenge the group’s voting process.
On Sept. 9, a District of Columbia court rejected a petition from Lyons to stop the election. He contended that a new voting process was unfair.
Lyons has not said whether he plans to end his legal fight.
“I’ll look at all the options and weigh them,” Lyons said last week.
The Nashville-based National Baptist Convention USA is the nation’s largest and oldest predominantly black denomination with roughly 7.5 million worshippers.
The Rev. J.H. Flakes, pastor for 48 years of Fourth Street Missionary Baptist Church, helped get Scruggs elected. They share an alma mater in the American Baptist College in Nashville, where Flakes serves as chairman of the board and Scruggs is assistant chair. Scruggs most recently preached at Fourth Street about five months ago.
“He is a tremendous administrator, a fabulous preacher and a lover of people,” Flakes said.
“He will continue the foundation that Dr. Shaw has laid, and that is vision, integrity, structure and accountability,” said Flakes, adding that Lyons was never a real threat to get re-elected.
“He’s a very good man. Very humble, very meek,” Flakes said of Scruggs.
Lyons previously acknowledged damaging the convention’s reputation but said he’s a changed man who deserved a second chance as president.
However, some National Baptists said his re-emergence reflected badly on the convention and could even cause a rift in the group, which has a history of splintering.
But Scruggs said his overwhelming victory shows that most members of the National Baptist Convention USA support his leadership and he’s not concerned about the group dividing over his defeat of Lyons.
The vote “says a lot about where the convention stands in terms of its positive thrust for our future,” said Scruggs, a former vice president-at-large for the denomination. “We don’t want to get into divisive relationships within the convention.”
Scruggs has said he plans to grow convention membership and to increase revenue to support church mission work.
He said he also plans to form a public policy committee that will address health care issues, and other socio-economic and political matters.
The Rev. H. Randy Stephen, pastor of Forrest Park Baptist Church in Columbus, attended the annual session last week and also expressed elation about Scruggs’ election.
“I’m extremely excited about his election. I’m very hopeful and optimistic. He’s a very qualified leader. I’ve no doubt he’ll do a Herculean job,” Stephen said.
“Dr. Shaw brought (the convention) through a tumultuous period and now Dr. Scruggs can pick up where he left off.”
In Columbus, the Mt. Calvary Baptist Association is the umbrella organization for approximately 30 churches affiliated with the National Baptist Convention USA. The moderator is the Rev. E. Meril Brown of Locust Hill Baptist Church in Midland.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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