The Charlotte Observer:

N.C. Baptists meeting today in Greensboro elected Charlotte pastor Mark Harris to be their new president and endorsed a proposed state constitutional amendment that would reinforce North Carolina's ban on same-sex marriage.

... Most of the 4,300 churches associated with the state convention are Southern Baptist - the largest Protestant denomination in North Carolina, with about 1.3 million members.

... In an interview with the Observer, Harris said one of his pledges as president will be to work with other pastors and their congregations for passage of the proposed amendment and to push for other issues they consider family-friendly.

"We are committed to building strong families," Harris said, "and, as a body of believers in this state, we are willing to stand up and be counted. We want to take a stand on marriage and ... be salt and light for this state."