Broken Arrow pastor elected to lead state Baptists


By Carla Hinton
The Oklahoman

A longtime Tulsa-area pastor was elected Tuesday to lead Oklahoma Southern Baptists, the state's largest religious denomination.
The Rev. Bob Green, pastor of Arrow Heights Baptist Church in Broken Arrow, was elected president of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma at the convention's annual meeting at First Southern Baptist Church of Del City, 6400 S Sooner Road.

"I feel it's quite an honor and a privilege to serve Oklahoma Baptists," Green said.

"I feel we have a driving mandate from God that we go out and reach our generation and, at the same time, we do not stray from God's word."

Green, 60, was among three men nominated for the post vacated by the Rev. Wade Burleson. Burleson, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist in Enid, served two one-year terms as the convention's president.

Buddy Hunt, pastor of First Baptist Church of Perry, and Walter Mullican, pastor of Portland Avenue Baptist in Oklahoma City, also were nominated for the president's post Tuesday.

Green and Hunt garnered the most votes in an initial election and faced each other in a runoff from which Green emerged as the top vote-getter.

Green recently celebrated his 30th anniversary as pastor of Arrow Heights Baptist, a congregation with about 1,800 members. He and his wife, Margaret, have three grown children.

He grew up in Odessa, Texas, and graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.

Green said he arrived in Tulsa shortly after graduating from seminary in 1968. He said he served as pastor of Fairhill Baptist Church in north Tulsa and Emmanuel Baptist in Tulsa before becoming pastor at Arrow Heights.

In other business, delegates to the annual meeting approved several resolutions, including one in support of a federal marriage amendment.

The Rev. Anthony Jordan, the convention's executive director-treasurer, said the state's Southern Baptists seek to affirm that marriage between one man and one woman is the foundation of the God-ordained institution of marriage.

"Since we're the largest denomination in Oklahoma, we should speak," Jordan said. "This is a moral issue again.

"History tells us there are activist judges who seek to interpret laws. A federal amendment would solidify the historical and biblical position on marriage."

A special service in which more than 70 people were commissioned as overseas missionaries concluded the meeting.


This is great news for southern baptists I can say that I am proud to be a part of the southern baptist family.