efrem graham tells us. >> reporter: southern baptist convention's annual meeting drew estimated 17,000ple this year, most came to witness this. >> and i nominate for the next president of our convention, native new orleansian would be a saint -- pastor fred luter. >> vote that followed moved his wife to tears as the only nominee, luter one by unanimous vote>> to see what god through grace and mercy has allowed something like this to happen in my life and see it being embraced by so many people, so many backgrounds, so many ethnic groups, to just affirm the vote it is a moment i will never, ever forget. >> also a moment members of his congregation, like angela adams will never forget. >> when i was in there i felt like wow, i am standing here witnessing something and feeling something. i was thanking god he sent me to this church. >> fred's convention happened here. it is a fact many leading up to this event. >> why would you want to be as an african-american president of a convention started as a result of slavery? my answer has always been, all of us have a past. i have a past, every