A Florida pastor who has argued that the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has drifted in a progressive direction was elected president of the nation's largest Protestant denomination on Tuesday.

Willy Rice, senior pastor of Calvary Church in Clearwater, Florida, won 57% of the vote at the SBC's annual meeting, according to Religion News Service (RNS). His opponent, Josh Powell, senior pastor of Taylors First Baptist Church in South Carolina, received 42%.

The two candidates shared similar positions on many of the denomination's most contentious issues, including support for a ban on churches with women pastors and skepticism toward claims that the SBC's sexual abuse crisis was as widespread as critics have alleged.

During the campaign, Rice argued that SBC leaders had been swept up in what he called a "cultural riptide" on issues including race, social justice and politics, leading to decisions that eroded trust among Southern Baptists.

"Look, if you look at the last 10 years and say, 'I think it's been great, we haven't had any drift ... We weren't caught in any kind of riptide,' well, then I don't know that I could say anything here today that would make you change your mind," Rice told delegates. "To me, it was obvious."

Powell struck a more optimistic tone, pointing to the denomination's missionary efforts and church-planting work despite years of internal controversy.

"These are all things that we can absolutely celebrate, and if I am a cheerleader, I will cheer for that all day long," he said.

Rice's victory was welcomed by some conservative SBC activists.

"Willy Rice's election proves that there is an appetite in the SBC for real conservative reform and renewal," William Wolfe, executive director of the Center for Baptist Leadership, told RNS. "We believe his victory is a major vindication of the issues we have addressed and fought for over the last few years in the SBC."