over Ronnie Floyd, pastor of a northwest Arkansas megachurch, and Jerry Sutton, a prominent conservative who leads one of Nashville, Tenn.'s most politically active congregations.

Bill Leonard, dean of Wake Forest University's School of Divinity and a frequent critic of SBC leadership, is less sure that the Southern Baptists have reached a turning point. He noted that Sutton and Floyd likely split the traditional conservative vote, allowing Page to eke out his win.

“Whether it becomes a kinder, gentler' denomination, publicly, depends on how much the traditional leadership — especially certain seminary presidents — respond,” Leonard said in an e-mail interview.

Page says his election shouldn't be viewed as a harbinger of moderating Southern Baptist philosophy. But he did say he hopes for a “broadening” of voices heard within the denomination and embraced the notion of a “kinder, gentler” SBC.

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