ARNOLD – Kenny Qualls, pastor of First Baptist Church of Arnold, will serve as the North American Mission Board’s new ambassador to Southern Baptist pastors in Missouri. Through this new role, he’ll connect with Missouri pastors on behalf of NAMB president Kevin Ezell to encourage and pray with them. A key part of the role will also be to express gratitude to pastors for their churches’ continual partnership in missions and participation in the Cooperative Program and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering®.
“I love pastors,” said Qualls, who will also continue to serve as pastor of FBC Arnold. “I love to encourage pastors and try to, in some small way, to be a blessing to them. When I turned 50, I felt like it was one of the things that God called me to give the rest of my life to and try to be an encouragement. It’s the heart of our church, too. I’m blessed to pastor a church that loves pastors.”
Qualls hopes to connect hurting pastors and their families with support and resources to deal with struggles they may be facing, as well. He’ll particularly point pastors to NAMB’s Pastor Care Line. Southern Baptist pastors can access the care line for free by calling 1-844-PASTOR1.
NAMB has been asking veteran pastors in a number of other state conventions to fulfill similar ambassador roles in recent months. Besides encouraging and appreciating pastors, Qualls will also be a resource for Missouri Baptist pastors as they seek to become more involved in North American missions.
Qualls says missions is a critical part of FBC Arnold. Not only is he proud of the church’s generosity, but it is also actively and personally involved in engaging the lost internationally, nationally and locally.
“Our mantra here is ‘Every believer, in everyday life, on the everyday mission of God,’” Qualls said. “We know that the Great Commission gives us our marching orders as a church. Our ultimate cause is God’s glory, advancing the gospel, being discipled and making disciples. That’s why we’re here.”
Internationally, the church has a goal of being involved in five unreached, unengaged people groups. Currently, FBC Arnold is involved in three such groups. FBC Arnold has also been a supporting church for a number of new church plants in Send North America cities, including Vancouver, B.C., San Francisco and St. Louis. On a local level, the church has four different multi-housing church plants and a goal of being involved in a total of five.
Qualls looks forward to helping other Missouri Baptist churches get better connected to missions in North America and around the world.
“I always tell other pastors that I’m not on NAMB’s staff,” Qualls said. “I’m just a pastor excited about NAMB and about their goal of seeing every Southern Baptist church becoming either a sending church or a supporting church in the area of church planting. I just want to express thanks for what they’re doing in their local church.”
Pastors can e-mail Qualls at kenny.qualls@fbca.us.