BRANSON – Members of the MBC Executive Director Search Team officially began their pursuit of a new convention leader at a meeting in Branson, April 20-21. Members prayed together, discussed the search process, elected officers and organized the search.
Current Executive Director John Yeats asked the MBC Executive Board in March to begin a search for his replacement. The board elected a 10-member committee that includes current MBC President Chris Williams.
Yeats moderated the search committee’s first meeting and used the time to orient members to the process of searching for an executive director, a process that resembles the search for a senior pastor of a local church.
Even so, “the process is somewhat different due to the financial and legal complexities of a non-profit corporation with a staff of 36 full-time employees and 53 ministry contractors, such as Baptist Collegiate directors, WMU director and others,” Yeats said.
“Part of the executive director’s role includes understanding how each function of a state convention is vital to the whole, including Cooperative Program giving,” Yeats added. “After all, he is the primary advocate for Missouri’s cooperative ministries and specifically the Cooperative Program.”
During the meeting, the search team selected officers: chairman, Wesley Vance (Executive Pastor, Springfield, Crossway); vice chairman, Lane Harrison (Senior Pastor, Ozark, LifePoint); correspondence secretary, Gina Jordan (pastor’s wife, Licking, Rock Springs); and hospitality coordinator, Neil Franks (president of the Missouri Baptist Foundation and representative for MBC entities).
“Missouri Baptist churches are poised to see a tremendous move of God in this generation,” Vance said. “While our cooperative work to care for the vulnerable in our state, educate the next generation of world changers through our universities, and give honor due our senior saints through our Missouri Baptist entities is exciting, we believe the next executive director is critical in leading Missouri Baptists to make a greater impact for Christ. As a search committee, we covet your prayer in this God-honoring search for God’s man to lead God’s people.”
The Search Team plans to use the MBC website, mobaptist.org, as the vehicle for receiving recommendations for executive director/treasurer. Watch for an “Executive Search” tab on the website’s home page beginning May 1. The portal closes May 31.