Pastor of First Baptist Church Lawton to run for president of Southern Baptist Convention

Mike Keahbone, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lawton, has announced that he will be a candidate for president of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Victor Chayasirisobhon, senior pastor of First Southern Baptist Church of Anaheim announced he plans to make the nomination when Southern Baptists gather for the annual meeting June 11-12 in Indianapolis.

“Mike Keahbone is the real deal, a leader who loves the Lord, loves the SBC, and strives every day to make it better. He is a son of the SBC, and I am convinced he is more than ready to step up and step into the role of president,” Chayasirisobhon said in a statement.

Keahbone, in an interview with The Lawton Constitution, said he was “a little bit shocked” when he was approached about running for president.

“I hadn’t thought about,” he said.

Keahbone described himself as a product of Southern Baptists.

“My family was in poverty and there was a lot of alcohol,” he said. “First Baptist Church Elgin knocked on my door and got me in Vacation Bible School. They raised me and launched me. One guy said I’m the son of the SBC.”

He said the two major issues facing Southern Baptists are sexual abuse reform and the Mike Law Amendment. Mike Law, a pastor in Virginia, has proposed an amendment to the SBC Constitution clarifying the role of women in the church.

The amendment adds a sixth point to the third article of the constitution that states, “only churches that affirm, appoint or employ only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by scripture, would be considered to be in friendly cooperation with the SBC,” according to an article by Baptist Press.

“A lot of people stand in a lot of different places (on the amendment). Some believe women should not be in ministerial positions at all,” Keahbone said. “I am not in favor of the amendment. Each church should be able to decide where they stand.”

Keahbone said, if elected president, that he would bring the convention back to the basics – reaching people with the gospel.

“I want to unify us,” he said. “We are fractured into different entities and factions. The gospel is something that is incredibly unifying.”

If elected president, Keahbone said he would be the first Native American president of the Southern Baptist Convention.

“We live in the heart of Indian Country. That would be a huge win for our people” he said. Keahbone also said it would be good for Southwest Oklahoma.

“It would bring a positive light to who we are as a community,” he said.

If elected, Keahbone would be the second Oklahoman to be president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Tom Eliff, then of Oklahoma City, served two terms as president, from 1996-98.