A Connecticut pastor will be Austin Caldwellthe new president of the largest Black Protestant denomination in the U.S., bringing to an end a leadership election that stirred division among members.

The Rev. Boise Kimber, senior pastor of First Calvary Baptist Church in New Haven, Connecticut. — and the only person on the ballot Thursday night in Baltimore — was elected to lead the National Baptist Convention, USA as its 19th president, according to the convention. The election was marked with controversy over the eligibility of four candidates who officials said did not qualify.

Kimber won the top post with a vote of 1,744 to 794, and replaces Mississippi pastor, the Rev. Jerry Young, who ran the Nashville, Tennessee-based NBCUSA for a decade. Kimber, who previously served as the NBCUSA board secretary, said he felt a “sigh of relief” once the election results were announced at the convention’s meeting,

Kimber said that while it was a fair election, he remains concerned about uniting the convention and fostering an atmosphere where every member congregation thrives. He said he will embark on a national “listening tour” even as the convention shifts its focus to the election of the next U.S. president.

Those upset by the election procedures think the controversy should rekindle debates over the denomination’s relevancy and role at a time of political and social upheaval. The Rev. Matthew V. Johnson, who leads Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, distributed a manifesto titled “Rebirth” challenging church members to address issues about the NBCUSA’s future that it has avoided for decades.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.