New officers for the South Carolina Baptist Convention were elected by messengers Nov. 11 at the SCBC’s annual meeting at Spartanburg First Baptist Church.

Tom Tucker, pastor of Sisk Memorial Baptist Church in Fort Mill, was elected president. Tucker served as first vice president of the convention in 2015 and was president of the South Carolina Baptist Pastors’ Conference in 2005 and chairman of the SCBC Executive Board in 2013.

Keith Shorter, pastor of Mt. Airy Baptist Church in Easley, was elected to the newly created office of president-elect. The president-elect will assume the office of president after serving one year. Shorter was first vice president of the state convention in 2013.

Bart Kelley, pastor of Bethel Baptist Church in Westminster, was elected first vice president.

Bryant Sims, pastor of First Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Greenwood, was elected second vice president.

Kathy Hall, a member of First Baptist Church of Camden, was elected recording secretary.

Naveen Balakrishnan, pastor of Hopewell Baptist Church in Adams Run, was elected registration secretary.

All officers were elected without opposition except for Bryant Sims, who prevailed in a runoff election with Lisa Willard of Calvary Baptist Church in Darlington. Sims received 170 votes to Willard’s 158.

The runoff was needed when no one gathered a sufficient number of votes on the first ballot, which included two additional nominees — Wofford Caughman, pastor of Southside Baptist Church of Gaffney, and Jason Moss, pastor of Eureka Baptist Church of Anderson.