Royston, 49, will succeed Roy J. Smith, who is retiring Dec. 31 after 13 years of service in the post. Messengers honored Smith with a retirement celebration Nov. 10.

Royston

Royston, a native of Johnson City, Tenn., has been pastor of the Colonial Heights Church in Kingsport, Tenn., but served for about 16 years in North Carolina. He received the unanimous recommendation of the Executive Director Search Committee and the BSC General Board.

At a press conference on the night of his election, Royston said he believes most N.C. Baptists are ready to work together.

"I assure you it'd be a very sad time for me if Baptists were to decide they didn't want to work together in North Carolina," he said.

Theologically, Royston said he is "very conservative" but tries to be "as open and as flexible" as he can in accepting opinions and positions of other people.

"There are kind of bottom line principles that I hold to," he said. "I call them the basics of the faith that I don't compromise on, but I like to leave a lot of room for other folks in their interpretation. "I think if we focus on the most important things, the things that divide us will pale in comparison. What we agree on historically as Baptists -- the lordship of Christ, the authority of scriptures, the autonomy of the local church -- some of these issues I think we're 99.97 percent ivory pure on."

Royston said he has preached a series of messages called "timeless truth and timely trends."

"The message of the Christian church never changes, God's word never changes, but cultural trends do," he said.

Royston said he believes N.C. Baptists should not follow the lead of Baptists in Virginia or Texas. Conservatives in Virginia have formed a separate convention. Baptists in Texas adopted a report that conservatives say distances them from the conservative-dominated Southern Baptist Convention.

"It would sadden me if we become two bodies, and I'm certainly not ready to do our own thing," he said. "I want us to be as strong as we can and we will do everything we can for North Carolina, but there's a big world out there so we need to continue to work together. I think our folks -- I'm praying that that's what they want."

Royston said he believed the election of officers at the convention reflected the diversity in the state. Two conservatives and one moderate were elected.

"I don't think there could have been a loser in that crowd of people, from the ones I know and what I've read about the others," he said. "You certainly had a banner crop of candidates to pick from."

Royston said he worries that some people might not be willing to work with other people.

"I think when people speak their heart and their convictions, I'd fight for their right," he said. "When they become obsessed and manipulative in their expression, I get concerned. I would a whole lot rather somebody tell me how they feel."

After he was elected, Royston told messengers he wants to "cater to congregations." He said he wants to partner with associations and form "strategic alliances" with institutions and agencies.

"My prayer tonight is that Jesus will intercede in my life and yours to his father and ours to make us one in the bond of love."