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Rev. Fred Luter Becomes First African-American President of Southern Baptist Convention

New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

The Southern Baptist Convention will be under the leadership of its first African-American president. The country’s largest Protestant denomination is hoping to diminish its troubling racist past.

The Reverend Fred Luter wiped away tears as he was given a long and loud ovation at the New Orleans meeting. Luter is becoming president of the 167-year-old group that formed in support of slavery and became a leading proponent of segregation. It now claims 16 million members, about 20 percent of which are minorities.

Luter, a New Orleans native, says he hopes his appointment will make race a side issue while membership increases. Luter officially takes over when the convention ends Wednesday night.

Eileen is a news reporter and producer for WWNO. She researches, reports and produces the local daily news items. Eileen relocated to New Orleans in 2008 after working as a writer and producer with the Associated Press in Washington, D.C. for seven years.

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