November 5, 2002
SPRINGFIELD — The 2003 Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) officers were all elected without opposition during the annual meeting.
Springfield area pastor Kenny Qualls was elected by acclamation to serve as president of the MBC and chair of the Executive Board for 2003.
Qualls, who served as first vice president, has been pastor of Springhill Baptist Church since 1990. He was nominated by Jay Scribner, pastor, First Baptist Church, Branson.
"Kenny is a committed conservative who will do us well serving the Lord as our president for the next year," Scribner said.
Qualls and his wife, Donna, have been married for 18 years and have two children, Dustin, and Lauren.
During his tenure at Springhill, the rural church has grown from an average attendance of 20 to 800 each week. Qualls was chair of the executive director search committee which brought David Clippard to Missouri. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Monte Shinkle, pastor of Concord Baptist Church in Jefferson City was elected first vice president. Gary Taylor nominated Shinkle for the office.
"He stands in the gap doctrinally," Taylor said. "He embraces the Bible as the infallible and inerrant Word of God."
Shinkle, the son of a Baptist preacher, has been pastor at Concord for 11 years. He serves on the order of business committee. Taylor said that Shinkle would work with both Qualls and Clippard with a kindred heart.
Bi-vocational pastor David Case was unanimously elected second vice president. Case has been pastor of Riverton Baptist Church since 1994. In the last four months, the church has baptized 22 new believers. In 1997, Case was named the small church pastor of the year.
"David is a man who has a heart for missions and is a soul winner," said Bob Collins, who nominated him for office. "I can think of no better combination."
Kevin Smith, pastor of Highview Baptist Church in Chillicothe, was unanimously elected recording secretary. During his nine years at Highview, church attendance has swelled from eight to more than 400 and the church is in its second building program. Smith is a member of the MBC Executive Board and served on the executive director search committee this year.
"Kevin is a man of integrity. He loves the Lord Jesus Christ and preaches the infallible word of God," said Jim Wells while nominating Smith.