Bryant Sims, pastor of First Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Greenwood, heads a slate of officers who will lead the South Carolina Baptist Convention in 2019.

Sims, who served for the past 12 months as president-elect, officially assumed the office of president at the conclusion of this year’s annual meeting.

In this year’s annual meeting balloting, Josh Powell, pastor of Lake Murray Baptist Church, defeated Mike Runion, pastor of City View First Baptist Church in Greenville, for the office of president-elect. Powell received 308 votes to Runion’s 107.

Powell, who will preside at the 200th SCBC annual meeting in 2020 and is writing a history of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, was nominated by Josh McClendon, pastor of Philippi Baptist Church in Johnston. Runion was nominated by Tom Tucker, pastor of Sisk Memorial Baptist Church in Fort Mill.

Other officers, all elected without opposition, included:

First vice president: Alex Sands, pastor of Kingdom Life Church in Mauldin (nominated by Tracy Turner, a messenger from Trinity Point Church in Easley);

Second vice president: Larry Baldwin, pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Williamston (nominated by Ron Fousek, pastor of Big Creek Baptist Church in Williamston);

Recording secretary: Adrianne Smith, member of Taylors First Baptist Church (nominated by Kathy Hall, member of Camden First Baptist Church); and

Registration secretary: Larry Zaky, pastor of Hemingway First Baptist Church (nominated by David Dinkins, pastor of Center Baptist Church in Hemingway).