PHILADELPHIA -- The National Baptist Convention, the nation's largest black denomination, is changing its constitution to reduce the pwoer of its president, according to The Associated Press.
The changes are unrelated to problems with the denomination's last president, who went to prison for stealing millions, said the Rev. Wendell L. Griffen. Griffen headed the revision committee.
Under the change, the president will select just four of the 110 board members. The president previously chose 29 members of the board. The board members recommend policy changes to the rest of the body. Five regional Baptist groups will select five board members each.
The denomination's president, the Rev. William Shaw, supported the change, claiming the old leadership structure gave too much power to the president. Shaw is pastor of White Rock Baptist Church in Philadelphia. He campaigned in 1999 on a platform of integrity and accountability.
Former convention president Henry J. Lyons was convicted in 1999 of improperly taking $4 million from companies and organizations doing business with the convention. He is serving a five-year prison term.
The denomination, which claims millions of members, is working on an official membership count that is expected to be ready in January, according to the AP.
