SPRINGFIELD – John Yeats completed 12 years of service as the Missouri Baptist Convention’s (MBC) executive director during the Monday night session of the MBC annual meeting, Oct. 23, by passing the baton to incoming executive director Wes Fowler.
Using the analogy of a relay race, Yeats stressed that ministry leadership is continuing the work of those who have gone before and preparing the way for those who follow. Embracing obedience to Christ and his Word, Christian leaders finish the race to which they are called and receive the prize of faithful stewardship.
Yeats drew from 1 Corinthians 9:24, where Paul writes, “Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize.”
With that, Yeats handed a Missouri Baptist-blue baton to Fowler and urged him to pursue God’s call to serve Missouri Baptists with full confidence in his support and the support of 1,750 MBC-affiliated churches.
Yeats steps aside as executive director after more than a decade of significant accomplishments, most significantly:
- He led the way in restoring breakaway entities to the MBC family, and he prepared Missouri Baptists to receive back the Foundation, Baptist Home, and Missouri Baptist University in a spirit of unity.
- He led the convention staff through a “reorientation” of its ministries to regain its founders’ focus on making disciples, multiplying churches, and developing leaders.
- And he brokered a comprehensive “synergy” effort, which provided new opportunities for all convention entities to unite in common purpose, share encouragement, and benefit from stronger relationships.
Fowler steps into his new role after serving 12 years as senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Mayfield, Ky. During his tenure in Mayfield, he has led his church to implement multiple local, domestic, and international mission opportunities. First Baptist also has increased its giving to the Cooperative Program from 4 percent in 2011 to 8.75 percent in 2023. (Read more about Fowler here and here.)
In addition, Fowler has served as president of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, as well as on boards and committees at the state and national levels for Southern Baptists.
Yeats and his wife Sharon, and Fowler were honored during the evvening of Oct. 23 at a joint reception after the close of business.
Fowler delivered the closing message of the meeting during the MBC annual meeting.
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