JEFFERSON CITY – Eleven Missouri Southern Baptists from all eight regions of the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) were unanimously approved by the MBC Executive Board April 12 to serve as the search committee for the convention’s 20th executive director.
Executive Board Administrative Committee Chairman Monty Dunn, pastor, Pleasant View Baptist Church, Spokane, named fellow Executive Board Member Vic Borden, pastor, Red Bridge Baptist Church, Kansas City, as the search committee’s chairman. Before introducing Borden to the Executive Board, Dunn praised the committee comprised of nine men and two ladies, declaring all of them to be committed Southern Baptists, Missouri Southern Baptists and theological conservatives.
“We are going to get after it,” an enthused Borden told the Executive Board before they prayed for the search committee. “We are going to hit the ground running. I want Missouri Baptists to know that we will give prayerful attention to every nominee,” he added, noting that nominations for the position are now being accepted from anyone who is a member in good standing with an MBC-affiliated church.
Borden would not speculate about how long the search might take to find the person to replace David Tolliver, who resigned from the position in January.
Also named as an ex-officio, non-voting member is MBC President and Executive Board Chairman John Marshall, pastor, Second Baptist Church, Springfield. The remaining 10 voting members of the committee include:
- William Bouyea, a layman and member of Emmanuel Baptist Church, Hannibal, representing the Northeast Region.
- Randy Comer, director of missions, Barry County Baptist Association, representing the Southwest Region.
- Donny Ford, a pastor and evangelist from Cape Girardeau, representing the Southeast Region.
- James Freeman, a layman and member of Country Meadows Baptist Church, Lee’s Summit, representing the West Central Region. Freeman was named to serve as the committee’s vice chairman.
- Stan Gibson, pastor, Pacific Baptist Church, Pacific, representing the East Central Region.
- Robert Lilly, pastor, First Baptist Church, Richland, representing the South Central Region.
- Bruce Morrison, retired MBC staffer and member of Concord Baptist Church, Jefferson City, representing the Central Region.
- Rebecca Nance, member, First Baptist Church, Trenton, representing the Northwest Region.
- Rhonda Rhea, member, First Baptist Church, Troy, representing the East Central Region. Rhea was also named the committee’s secretary.
- Jody Shelenhamer, member, Wellspring Baptist Fellowship, Bolivar, representing the Southwest Region.
Dunn said the committee will provide updates on the search to the MBC Executive Board at its regular quarterly meetings, the next of which is scheduled for July 11-12 in Jefferson City. The committee’s work will be kept confidential other than for its reports to the Executive Board.
Dunn said the search committee will have a third party thoroughly investigate “each nominee’s reputation in his present and former places of residence and employment with particular attention given to fiscal and domestic stability, supervisory relationships and general degree of esteem.”
All nominations may be sent to Vic Borden, Red Bridge Baptist Church, 4901 East Red Bridge Road, Kansas City, Missouri 64137-2059.
DON HINKLE / editor
dhinkle@mobaptist.org