BRENTWOOD – The staff of the Executive Board of the Tennessee Baptist Convention has been realigned in order to assist churches in accomplishing the Five Objectives.
The Five Objectives were adopted by messengers at the Summit in 2014 at Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood as long-range goals for the convention.
The Five Objectives are:
(1) Seeing at least 50,000 Tennesseans annually saved, baptized, and set on the road to discipleship by 2024;
(2) Having at least 500 Tennessee Baptist churches revitalized by 2024;
(3) Planting and strategically engaging at least 1,000 new churches by 2024;
(4) Realizing an increase in annual local church giving through the Cooperative Program that reaches at least 10 percent by 2024; and
(5) Realizing an increase in annual giving for the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions that reaches at least $3 million by 2024.
During this past year, committees of the TBC’s Executive Board also were realigned around the Five Objectives as was the budgeting process.
“We are serious about our strategic focus and we want everything we do to be an expression of that focus,” said Randy C. Davis, executive director/treasurer of the Tennessee Baptist Convention.
“Tennessee Baptists have affirmed the Five Objectives as the priority for having an impact on spiritual lostness in our state. The best way for our state missions staff to support churches in their respective mission fields is to offer expertise and insight that helps make Christ known,” he observed.
“I am committed to making sure every resource available to us through the Cooperative Program and the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions is directed toward the two most important things we can focus on, which is reaching the lost and having healthy churches,” Davis added.
In addition to serving on the Five Objectives task groups, staff members will also continue to provide help to churches in their respective areas of expertise.
Task groups include:
Baptism Objective: Steve Pearson, leader; Bruce Edwards, youth; David Evans, evangelism; Vickie Hulsey, children; Kent Shingleton, part-time youth; Sara Archer, ministry assistant
Church Revitalization: Bob Brown, leader; Paul Clark Jr., worship; Mark Miller, discipleship; John Parrott, part-time bivocational ministry; Tiffany Pyron, ministry assistant; Carrie Smith, ministry assistant
New Churches: Lewis McMullen, leader; William Burton, ethnic/language; Willie McLaurin, African-American; Bernie Baker, ministry assistant; and Harvest Field missionaries Randy Pool (through agreement with Mississippi River Ministry), Charles Grant, Eric Watson, Daniel Tuchez, Gustavo Baez, and James Harvey
Resourcing Objectives: Gary Rickman, leader; Archer Thorpe, stewardship, Tammy Harris, administrative assistant, Jewell Burke, ministry assistant; Vickie Anderson, WMU executive director; and WMU staff Denise Bronaugh, Julie Heath, Jackie Bellamy (interim), Linda Rader, and Vickie Clemmons.
Church Services: Steve Holt, leader; Wes Jones, disaster relief/men’s ministry; Kim Margrave, volunteer missions; Lana Rose, minister’s wives/secretaries; Joe Sorah, compassion ministries; Randy Pool (through MRM); Joy Clay-Corby, administrative assistant; Heather Beard, ministry assistant; and Elizabeth Holmes, ministry assistant
The remaining groups (Collegiate Ministries, led by Bill Choate; Communications, led by Chris Turner; and Mission Support, led by William Maxwell) basically remain unchanged from the previous structure.
In a related move, Willie McLaurin will serve as special assistant to the executive director/treasurer.
McLaurin will be responsible for assisting the executive director constantly to help “ensure the Executive Board resources are utilized productively toward realizing the Five Objectives of the Tennessee Baptist Convention,” Davis said.
“Willie will be assisting me in day to day mission strategy implementation, leadership, and organizational development,” Davis added.
The Executive Leadership team will be comprised of Randy Davis, Willie McLaurin, William Maxwell, Gary Rickman, Steve Holt, Chris Turner, and Phyllis Bates.
The Ministry Leadership Team will be comprised of Davis, McLaurin, Maxwell, Rickman, Holt, Turner, Bates, Steve Pearson, Bob Brown, Lewis McMullen, and Bill Choate.
