(New Orleans) — Here in New Orleans we’re seeing lots of coverage as a native son is set to become the first African American president of the SBC. Many are reporting on the race angle, but a columnist for the local paper, Jarvis DeBerry of the Times Picayune, says that’s not all that’s new about the ‘new face’ of the SBC.
Here’s an excerpt from today’s coverage:
Most of the coverage about Luter’s new position will focus on his race. That’s as it should be. It’s not insignificant that a black man will be leading a majority-white denomination. And not just any majority-white denomination, but one that was formed in defense of slavery.
But Luter as the new face of the Baptists is important for another reason. He seems to never stop smiling. If you’ve sat through as many Baptist services as I have, you might judge that a miracle. Baptists, especially Baptist pastors, have a reputation for being sour, disapproving, finger-wagging killjoys.
That’s not Fred Luter. “I love to laugh,” he said Friday morning. “I love to have a good time.”
That comes through in his sermons. It comes through in his conversation. The gospel is good news. Luter acts like it.
“If anybody has joy, if anybody has peace and happiness, it should be us,” he said. Still, the perception persists that “Baptists don’t have any fun, that we don’t laugh. We don’t have any joy. I would love to change that perception.”
iB2 News 