Luter’s turn
By electing a black leader, the church shows how far it has come
WHEN Fred Luter, the pastor of a large congregation in a flood-damaged section of New Orleans, assumes the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) at its annual meeting in June, it will not be the usual passing of the baton for America's largest Protestant denomination. Mr Luter, who is black, will become the standard-bearer of a group with a long history of racism.
This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “Luter’s turn”
From the March 17th 2012 edition
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