DALLAS—Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. provides “the kind of visionary leader Southern Baptists need to communicate a missional conservatism and biblical clarity to the world,” stated Robert Jeffress, pastor of the historic First Baptist Church of Dallas in announcing his intention to nominate the 47-year-old Mohler for Southern Baptist Convention president in June.

In a news release provided to the Southern Baptist TEXAN Jan. 2, Jeffress said his decision is the result of prayer and concern for the future of Southern Baptists’ global witness. He said he believes Mohler would “motivate Southern Baptists to unite around cooperation for global missions and evangelism.”

If elected on June 10 when messengers meet in Indianapolis, Mohler would become the seventh seminary president to serve in the top denominational office.

Before moving to the Dallas congregation last August, Jeffress served 15 years as pastor of First Baptist Church of Wichita Falls, Texas. He hosts the “Pathway to Victory” television program and broadcasts a daily sermon series heard in 13 countries.

“When Southern Seminary seemed to be lost to liberalism and irrelevancy, Dr. Mohler put his life and ministry on the line for the truth of God’s word and the urgency of sharing Christ with a lost world,” Jeffress said. “Since that time, he has led Southern Seminary to be a boot camp for young men and women training to take the gospel to the nations—whatever the cost.”

Mohler’s experience as a spokesman for Southern Baptists in the public square is another reason he should be president of the SBC, Jeffress added, noting the seminary president has been recognized by influential publications such as Time and Christianity Today, with Time calling him the “reigning intellectual of the evangelical movement in the U.S.”

“For years, Southern Baptists and other Christians have seen Dr. Mohler stand for biblical revelation on programs such as “Larry King Live,” Jeffress said. “And, each and every time, no matter what the issue, Dr. Mohler has been a strong witness, telling lost people how they can come to know Christ. That kind of truth-telling with gospel compassion is the kind of leadership we need in these tumultuous times,” Jeffress added.

“Southern Baptists will be blessed to have a president in Dr. Mohler who can walk into the Oval Office or into the pulpit of your local Baptist church and say the same thing, ‘Thus saith the Lord,’ with clarity and conviction,” Jeffress said. “Whether the issue is the family and marriage or Islamic terrorism or the religious liberty of Christians to share the gospel freely anywhere in the world, Dr. Mohler represents Southern Baptists well in pointing to Christ and his word,” Jeffress said.

He added that a Mohler presidency also would be critical in emphasizing the necessity of a strong and healthy Cooperative Program, pointing to Mohler’s experience in denominational leadership on the Program and Structure Study Committee that made recommendations for sweeping reorganization of the denomination in 1995 and to his work with fellow SBC entity heads on the denomination’s Great Commission Council.

Mohler also hosts an hour-long weekday radio program devoted to “engaging contemporary culture with biblical truth” on the Texas-based Salem Radio Network. His daily commentary for Crosswalk.com addresses moral, cultural and theological issues.  Both are available on his website at albertmohler.com.

Mohler served as pastor of Union Grove Baptist