FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (ABP) -- Henry Lyons, the disgraced pastor and convicted felon who campaigned to become president of the Florida General Baptist Convention, was rejected April 4 by delegates at the state convention's annual meeting.

Attendees at the meeting instead elected James Sampson of Jacksonville, Fla., to lead Florida's oldest predominantly African-American religious group, which is associated with the National Baptist Convention U.S.A. The national convention claims about 7.5 million members.

Lyons, 65, gained notoriety in 1999 when a Florida jury convicted him of state grand theft and racketeering charges. They also found that, while president of the National Baptist Convention, he stole millions of dollars from convention partners like the Anti-Defamation League. He ended up serving more than four years in state prison and will remain on federal probation until 2008.

The scam was initially uncovered after Lyons' then-wife set fire to a $700,000 home owned by Lyons and his mistress. A subsequent investigation into Lyons' personal affairs uncovered his other misdeeds.

Lyons currently serves as pastor at New Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Tampa, Fla. According to the Tampa Tribune, he began campaigning for the state presidency last summer.

Out of 1,012 votes cast, 539 delegates voted for Sampson. Lyons received 306 votes. The third candidate, Michael Johnson of Sixth Avenue Baptist Church in Pensacola, received 167.

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