James T. Draper, Jr.

Who is James T. Draper, Jr.?

James Thomas "Jimmy" Draper, Jr., is a prominent figure in the theologically conservative Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the United States. He was the SBC president from 1982 to 1984.

Beginning in 1979, religious conservatives began a decade-long process to gain control of the denomination from a more moderate element that had been in authority. Draper was elected denominational president by the convention delegates, known as messengers, for two one-year terms in 1982 and 1983. The president is restricted to two consecutive terms, but he may sit out a term and run thereafter. From 1991 to February 1, 2006, Draper headed the LifeWay Christian Resources.