Two veteran pastors, Mike Moody and Tom Tucker, have disclosed that they will be nominated for president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, Nov.14-15 at First Baptist Church in Taylors.

The irony of this election is reflected in the place where the state convention is being held this year. Dr. Frank Page, pastor of ?Taylors ?First, was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention in June of this year. His election was viewed as an affirmation of commitment to the Cooperative Program of the SBC. Since his election, Page has?spoken consistently of the importance of CP giving.

Informed people are inspired people. South Carolina Baptists need to be aware of any information that would enable them to make an intelligent decision when it comes time to elect a president to lead them in the days to come.

Mike Moody is the pastor of First Baptist Church, Honea Path. The church gives 13 percent to the Cooperative Program. Tom Tucker is the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Rock Hill. The church gives 2.8 percent to the Cooperative Program.

Many onlookers across the national convention as well as within the state view this election as a referendum on the Cooperative Program. The CP has been regarded as the lifeline of mission support for the denomination. When CP giving drops, mission support suffers. The Cooperative Program is the method by which churches give a percentage of their budget to the various mission boards, schools, agencies, etc., of the denomination. The financial health of the SBC and the SCBC is directly related to CP support from the churches.

Both Moody and Tucker are considered theological conservatives.?

Moody is a graduate of North Greenville University, Carson Newman University, and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Tucker is a graduate of Campbell University and Covington Seminary.

Tucker was president of the Pastors Conference last year and is a member of this year’s Committee on Committees. Moody is a member of the Executive Board of the state convention, serving as chairman of the Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee. He has also served on the Nominating Committee.

Both of these men are married with two children each. Both are serving large churches in the state convention. Both are pastors. There are many similarities between these two men. However, there are many differences as well. The largest and most obvious difference between the two is their commitment to the denominational mission program in ways that can be objectively measured: gifts to the Cooperative Program.

The vote may be close, but if what happened at the SBC in June with the election of Frank Page occurs at the meeting of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, the vote may not be so much about the personalities involved as the demonstrated commitment of the two pastors to the Cooperative Program of the Convention. It has been said that? pastors cannot force a church to give a higher percentage to the CP. This is true. However, should those of us who pastor churches with?limited giving allow our names to be placed before the SCBC for nomination as president?

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