Richard Land Franklin, Tenn.

President of the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission; host of three national radio programs.

Power/Influence:

Involved in politics from youth — campaigning for President Nixon in junior high and Barry Goldwater in senior high — Land withdrew from partisan involvement when he joined the SBC, which has 16 million members in more than 42,000 churches. Land was an integral part of the “conservative resurgence” in 1979, which successfully brought the organization back to its conservative roots. He was named by Time magazine as one of America’s most influential evangelicals.

Role in Campaign ’08:

“I don’t endorse candidates,” Land tells Newsmax. “I’m looking for candidates who endorse my values.”

Who Knew: “I’m a huge Jane Austen fan, and have read one of her novels every year in rotation. Although I’ve read Pride and Prejudice five times, I still find it thrilling.”

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