Mississippi Baptist Convention Board leader Shawn Parker is applauding adoption of a new state flag that honors God and notably lacks the Confederate battle emblem.

Nearly 72 percent of Mississippi voters approved the new flag design, according to unofficial results with 93 percent of precincts reporting. Voters approved a red, white, blue and gold design featuring a white magnolia, the state flower, and the words “In God We Trust.”

“We believe that the new flag design is an accurate reflection of Mississippi’s focus on faith and family, and we also think that it is a better representation of the entire state,” said Parker, MBCB executive director and treasurer.

The MBCB leader was among many Mississippians advocating for a new flag when it voted in June to ask the Mississippi Legislature to retire the 1894 flag that included the Confederate emblem and to replace it with a more inclusive design. In the next procedural step, the Mississippi Legislature must vote in its 2021 legislative session, which begins in January, to enact the new design into law.