Texas pastor Bart Barber won a run-off election for president of the Southern Baptist Convention June 14 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California.

Out of 5,587 votes cast, Barber received 3,401 (60.87 percent) and Florida pastor Tom Ascol received 2,172 votes (38.88 percent). Fourteen ballots were disallowed.

In the first election, Barber received 3,258 (47.58 percent) of the 6,847 ballots cast, leading to the run-off election since neither had garnered 50 percent of the vote.

Matt Henslee, pastor of Mayhill Baptist Church in Mayhill, N.M., and 2022 Southern Baptist Pastors Conference president, nominated Barber.

Henslee described Barber as a man who can unite, build up and “lead us through the battleground of our disagreements, to the common ground of our cooperation so that we can tell the world about the even ground at the foot of the cross.”

“Bart Barber embodies the best of what it means to be a Southern Baptist. He has faithfully and graciously engaged at every level as a champion for Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong, a staunch supporter of our seminaries, a trusted leader in his local association and state convention, and passionate protector of religious liberty, tireless defender of the unborn, relentless personal evangelist, faithful prayer warrior, and a steadfast advocate for survivors of sexual abuse.”

Barber, 52, has served as pastor of First Baptist Church of Farmersville, Texas, since 1999 as well as in a number of roles in the SBC. He is chairman of the 2022 SBC Resolutions Committee and was a member of that committee in 2021.

Barber preached at the 2017 SBC Pastors Conference, served as first vice president of the SBC from 2013 through 2014, served on the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention executive board from 2008 through 2014, served as a trustee for Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and on the SBC Committee on Committees.