The nation's largest group of Black Protestants is meeting this week for a high-stakes gathering that could thrust the denomination into an unprecedented leadership crisis — just as it faces major challenges in attracting a new generation of members.

The National Baptist Convention, USA, is one of four major Black Baptist denominations in the U.S. and is the oldest and largest of the four. The denomination, with between 5.2 million and 7.5 million members nationwide, has long been active on a host of high-profile issues — from affordable housing and health disparities to education and criminal justice.

It has a long legacy on civil rights issues and invested in voter registration and voter rights initiatives in recent years, a focus that has drawn the attention of national political leaders. President Joe Biden visited the Mississippi church of the denomination's president during the 2020 primaries and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at its annual session in 2022. Harris, now the Democratic presidential nominee in the November election, is affiliated with a church aligned with the denomination.

The denomination, often known as the NBCUSA, faces major challenges in attracting young people to replace a largely aging membership, both in the pews and behind the pulpit. These difficulties have only worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic, an event that disproportionately affected historically Black congregations.

Now, a controversial election for a new president this week in Baltimore could add to the challenges.

The NBCUSA will decide at its annual session on Sept. 2-5 whether a sole candidate in a presidential election will succeed the Rev. Jerry Young, a Mississippi pastor who served as the denomination’s chief executive for 10 years.

But a mounting protest over a controversial decision on which churches can nominate presidential candidates has led to uncertainty. Although there is only one candidate on the ballot, Connecticut pastor Rev. Boise Kimber, if those pushing for a majority “no” vote succeed, it could restart a potentially two-year-long nomination and election cycle.

Either outcome is expected to leave the denomination in a weakened state to deal with the bigger challenges of diminished enthusiasm and participation.

“In a season where denominations are more needed than ever, we’re more divided,” said the Rev. Breonus Mitchell, a Nashville pastor who serves as chair for the NBCUSA's board of directors, which manages denomination business outside the four-day annual session. “And because of our division, people are feeling like you’re not essential anymore.”

The board of directors recently finalized a decision to restrict certain churches from nominating candidates for the presidential election, rendering four candidates ineligible for the ballot. Those four candidates — Chicago pastor Rev. Alvin Love, Detroit pastor Rev. Tellis Chapman, San Fransisco area pastor Rev. Claybon Lea, Jr., and Florida pastor Rev. James Sampson — then organized a joint campaign “to fight for the soul of the convention” and have argued the board deprived the full convention of an opportunity to weigh in on important leadership decisions.

“Our biggest challenge is not Boise Kimber. And at this point, it’s not even the shenanigans of the board,” said the Rev. Alvin Love, a Chicago pastor and aspiring presidential candidate. “Our challenge now is building up enough excitement among our people to even want to come to Baltimore.”

The unity campaign emerged in response to board's special called meeting in March, when the board voted 46-11 to tighten restrictions for churches that nominate candidates.

“Our great convention has not and should never convene conclaves to choose its leaders. However, that’s exactly what happened,” Sampson said in his Aug. 21 open letter. “The recent decision made to choose our next leader was unethical, unwise and unholy.”

Critics of the joint unity campaign say the protest is undermining the four candidates’ desire for progress by potentially delaying a presidential appointment. But to those four candidates, any potential change is futile if predicated on unresolved governance disputes.

“If we don’t function according to what we already have,” Lea said, “then we’re actually self-sabotaging.”

Liam Adams covers religion for The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected] or on social media @liamsadams.