The Alabama Baptists are moving their state headquarters from Montgomery to Prattville.

The Alabama Baptist Convention wrapped up its annual two-day meeting on Wednesday in Montgomery, voting to move the denomination's state headquarters from Montgomery to Prattville.

They also expressed concern about gambling, even though lottery supporters fell short this year of getting legislation passed to create a state lottery.

Baptist Health System will take over the Alabama Baptist Convention's headquarters, 2001 E. South Boulevard, adjacent to Baptist Medical Center South, at 2105 E. South Boulevard in Montgomery.

"They were looking at building a new complex at the hospital, and we needed to downsize," said the Rev. John Thweatt, pastor of First Baptist Church of Pell City, who was elected Wednesday as president of the state convention.

It turned out to be a perfect swap, since the Health System owned land in Prattville, about a mile west of the Cracker Barrel, Thweatt said. The state convention will begin construction on Dec. 1, on that land, for a new headquarters building that will be about half the size of its current complex, Thweatt said.

"We'll swap keys; there'll be no debt, no money exchanged," Thweatt said. "It's providential. God moved in and helped both groups."

There are more than a million Southern Baptists in Alabama, making the Alabama Baptist Convention the largest denomination in the state.

About 735 messengers from 335 Southern Baptist churches across the state gathered Tuesday and Wednesday at Eastmont Baptist Church in Montgomery for the annual convention.

They passed a resolution condemning gambling.

The Rev. Joe Godfrey, executive director of ALCAP, speaks out against gambling and marijuana during the Alabama Baptist Convention, Nov. 16, 2016.

The Rev. Joe Godfrey, executive director of the Alabama Citizens Action Program, spoke about the need for Baptists to stand strong against a lottery and against the spread of marijuana legalization.

"Marijuana legalization is taking hold in this nation," he said.

"We know it's a gateway drug," Thweatt told AL.com today. "I do think we need to take a stand against recreational use."

Southern Baptists need to remain vigilant against attempts to create a state lottery, he said.

"I don't think it's going away," Thweatt said. "Some of them (lottery supporters) are not going to stop until they get it."

Thweatt, 50, also serves as chairman of trustees at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., the flagship seminary for the denomination.

"I'd like to be a bridge between the younger and the older pastors," Thweatt said. "If I can do anything to get younger pastors involved, I'd like to do that."

Baptists should always keep an emphasis on the Bible, he said. "I want us to be people of the word of God," Thweatt said.

The Rev. Rick Lance introduces newly elected officers behind him: the Rev. Tim Cox, first vice president; the Rev. John Thweatt, president; and the Rev. Buddy Champion, second vice president.

Here is the resolution adopted by the state convention on gambling:

RESOLUTION NO. 3

ON GAMBLING

WHEREAS, The Governor of Alabama has established a council to study gambling in Alabama (the Alabama Advisory Council on Gaming) that is expected to make recommendations to the Alabama Legislature concerning changes in the gambling laws of the state; and

WHEREAS, The existence of such a council on gambling is not necessary, but the enforcement of existing laws against gambling is needed; and

WHEREAS, The Bible gives numerous principles that show gambling to be an activity that Christians should oppose (Exodus 20:3-5 and Matthew 6:33; Exodus 20:15; Exodus 20:16 and Leviticus 19:11; Exodus 20:17; Philippians 4:19; Philippians 2:4; 1 Corinthians

4:1-2; Ephesians 4:28; Romans 12:10; and Romans 14:13); and

WHEREAS, Many in the Alabama Legislature continue to introduce and advocate for gambling expansion in the state, including (but not limited to) a state-sponsored lottery, casino gambling, a tribal compact, and internet gambling in the form of daily fantasy sports betting; and

WHEREAS, State-sponsored and/or state-sanctioned gambling preys upon the poorest citizens of Alabama; and

WHEREAS, State-sponsored and/or state-sanctioned gambling is based on deceiving the state's own citizens into believing that gambling is a solution to their financial struggles, while in fact, in most cases, it worsens an individual's or family's financial

difficulties; and

WHEREAS, State-sponsored and state-sanctioned gambling hurts the local and state economies by depleting other, more established revenue streams, such as sales taxes; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Alabama Baptist State Convention meeting in Montgomery, Alabama, on November 15-16, 2016, oppose any and all attempts by the Governor and/or State Legislators to expand any form of state-sponsored, state-sanctioned and predatory gambling in Alabama; and be it finally

RESOLVED, That the President of the Alabama Baptist State Convention and the Executive Director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions be authorized to send a copy of this resolution to the Governor, members of the Alabama Advisory Council on Gaming and all Alabama Legislators.