c. 1999 Religion News Service

TAMPA, Fla. _ A pivotal weeklong meeting that will help determine the future of the image-tarnished National Baptist Convention, USA _ one of the nation’s largest predominantly black denominations _ opened Tuesday (Sept. 7) with an upbeat welcome from the Rev. Stewart C. Cureton, the group’s president since the March resignation and imprisonment of the Rev. Henry J. Lyons.

Electing a successor to Lyons from a crowded 11-candidate field, scheduled for Thursday, is expected to be the highlight of the meeting which ends Friday. Lyons was convicted of swindling millions from corporations wanting to market products to members of the church group.”We are here and God has graciously and divinely blessed us,”Cureton, a South Carolina pastor said in his opening address.”And I know that we have come over the mountains as well as through the valleys. We have had some misunderstandings, but nevertheless, we are here.” Cureton, speaking at the Ice Palace Arena _ one of two main convention sites _ urged delegates and visitors to keep their focus on spiritual as well as political matters.”I know that this year is an election year, but that should be secondary,”he said.”There is nothing better than giving praises and adoration to God.” But electioneering was high on the agenda of many of the more than 50,000 people _ the largest convention ever to visit this city, tourism officials said _ the convention is expected to attract.

Delegates and visitors were adorned with buttons and T-shirts cheering on their favorite candidate as registration for the annual meeting began Monday. Some supporters distributed flyers and buttons at the airport while others stood outside the Tampa Convention Center as registrants arrived.

A number of the 11 candidates circulated among the just-arrived delegates to spread the word about their campaigns. Among the front-runners are thought to be the Rev. E.V. Hill of Los Angeles, the Rev. W. Franklyn Richardson of Mount Vernon, N.Y., and the Rev. William J. Shaw of Philadelphia.

Richardson and Shaw, who each have exhibit booths airing campaign videos, are running on the themes of accountability and restructuring in the next five-year presidential term.

But on Monday, Hill downplayed the notion the denomination was in need of wholesale change.”We support black colleges. Do they want to change that?”he asked.”We support foreign missions. Do they want to change that? We support civil rights. Do they want to change that?” Rather than change the denomination, Hill said his main goal would be to define the NBCUSA and clarify the work of its 73 auxiliaries, boards, commissions and committees.”There’s much that needs to be vitalized, energized and spiritualized,”he said.

At least half the candidates have made special plans to capture the attention of voting delegates in the hours preceding the Thursday election. They have scheduled pre-election prayer gatherings for the evening before and one has planned a 6 a.m.”sunrise”session before the polls open an hour later.

Lyons, who served as pastor of a church in nearby St. Petersburg, Fla., was not forgotten at the meeting. Cureton said he expects the denomination will continue to support the former president.”I think it would be unChristian for this convention that he led for four-and-one-half years not to help support his legal causes,”Cureton told reporters at a news conference Monday.

Hill, who made an unsuccessful attempt to visit Lyons Saturday at a prison near Ocala, Fla. _ about 100 miles away from the convention site _ said the former president sent a letter to board members before the meeting.”He encouraged us to go forward,”said Hill, who added that Lyons endorsed his candidacy.”He wishes the convention well.” At a board meeting on Monday, delegates appointed a resolution committee to consider resolutions on school prayer and on boycotting South Carolina because of its practice of flying the Confederate flag over the state Capitol.

Church officials also collected $68,800 during the board meeting to reduce the $2.8 million debt owed on the denomination’s national headquarters in Nashville, Tenn., said the Rev. Richard P. Bifford, Sr., recording secretary.

The board also appointed a transition committee to oversee the impending change of administrations in the denomination from those who worked with Lyons to those who would work with the new president.

Other presidential candidates include: the Rev. A. Russell Awkard of Louisville, Ky.; the Rev. Roscoe Cooper of Richmond, Va.; the Rev. Earl Jackson of Gary, Ind.; the Rev. Matthew Johnson of Greensboro, N.C.; the Rev. John Kelly of Detroit, Mich.; Cleo McConnell, a deacon from Homer, La.; the Rev. Acen Phillips of Denver; and the Rev. Jasper Williams of Atlanta.

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