By Staff
SPRINGFIELD – Six simple words will make up the theme interpretation at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC): “Do the work of an evangelist.”
The theme interpretation Bible studies will be brought during various portions of the three-day meeting at the Springfield Expo Center here by: Eric Erickson, pastor and Christian media pioneer; Jerry Tidwell, senior vice president for university relations at Union University in Jackson, Tenn.; and Bruce McCoy, pastor of Canaan Baptist Church in St. Louis and outgoing MBC president. Tidwell and Erickson are new faces to Missouri Baptists.
Erickson was an early pioneer in Christian media in the mid-70s producing local Christian radio and television programming, along with syndicating Christian programming on cable television systems in Kansas. He later moved to Arizona where he helped found and pastor a church plant, which grew from 6 to over 300. He was also involved in leading cross-cultural missions into Mexico.
Erickson became the Chief Operating Officer of the Texas-based Daystar Television Network in 2000, focusing on establishing the infrastructure as it quickly became the fastest-growing and second largest Christian television network in the world in terms of owning/operating television broadcast stations nationwide and satellite outlets.
While serving as executive pastor at Hope Church, a church “re-launch” in Colleyville, Texas, he became involved with Jim McKinney and Harvest Unlimited as an early church partner in this new and exciting ministry. Harvest Unlimited has now engaged with over 200 churches across denominations in over 20 states.
Tidwell is best known across the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) as the author of Outreach Teams That Win: GROW! which has been used in 8,000 churches throughout the United States and other countries. He is the former pastor of West Jackson Baptist Church in Jackson, Tenn., and most recently was the pastor of Ellendale Baptist Church in Bartlett, Tenn., before coming to Union. He has served churches in Texas, Florida, and Tennessee. Tidwell served as president of the Tennessee Baptist Convention from 1999-2000. He also served on the Executive Committee of the SBC and continues to serve on the board of the Southern Baptist Foundation.