By Roy Hayhurst
Director of Denominational and Public Relations , GuideStone Financial Resources
D. Hance Dilbeck Jr. was unanimously elected GuideStone president-elect by the GuideStone Trustee Board.
DALLAS — D. Hance Dilbeck Jr. was unanimously elected GuideStone president-elect during a called meeting of the GuideStone Trustee Board on May 20. Dilbeck, executive director-treasurer of Oklahoma Baptists since 2018, accepted the call and gave thanks to the Lord, his family and trustees for the opportunity to serve at GuideStone.
Dilbeck will serve alongside current GuideStone president O.S. Hawkins beginning this summer, and will officially begin work as president-elect on July 1. Trustees and GuideStone anticipate a period of transition between Hawkins and Dilbeck starting this summer and culminating in Hawkins becoming President Emeritus and Dilbeck becoming President and Chief Executive Officer in the first quarter of 2022.
Steve Dighton, the retired pastor of Lenexa (Kan.) Baptist Church and Chair of the Presidential Search Committee, said the committee bathed the process in prayer to seek out the Lord’s candidate in this process.
“We established a process where we were determined to only consider prospects recommended to us from our Southern Baptist family,” Dighton said. “We solicited feedback for three months, and even added one more month to give time for more recommendations to come in. A total of 15 people were recommended to the committee.”
Hawkins expressed his confidence to trustees in their selection.
“Hance Dilbeck is one of the most respected men in Southern Baptist life,” Hawkins said. “He has pastored all sizes of Southern Baptist churches, has a heart for serving pastors from small, medium and large churches; he understands the dynamics and complexity of GuideStone’s ministry, and he is a quick learner. And he is among the humblest men I’ve ever known, so he’ll be one who has a learner’s heart as he embarks on this new calling from the Lord. Susie and I are holding Hance and Julie in our hearts and prayers, and we invite Southern Baptists to join us in lifting them up.”
Dilbeck’s wife, Julie Dilbeck, has served as a GuideStone trustee since 2019. She resigned her post at the called meeting, and she did not vote in the selection process.
Dilbeck has served in Oklahoma churches as pastor for more than 30 years. He served as pastor at Quail Springs Baptist Church in Oklahoma City for 15 years before being called to lead Oklahoma Baptists in 2018. During that time, the church tripled in size even as it took part in planting 32 churches. He has been an active participant in denominational life, having served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Oklahoma Baptist University, Southwestern Seminary, and the International Mission Board through the years. He is a prior Second Vice President of the Southern Baptist Convention.
“Julie and I have a clear sense of the Lord’s calling to GuideStone,” Dilbeck said. “We are grateful for how the search committee and their prayerful process helped confirm this calling. Dr. Hawkins has been a faithful steward and transformational leader for almost 25 years. He has assembled a world-class team.
“I am asking our Father for grace to be faithful with this stewardship and effective with the platform; serving those who serve the Lord.”
Dilbeck also offered his thanks to, and love for, Oklahoma Baptists for the opportunity to serve as their executive director-treasurer.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to serve as the pastor of great churches in Oklahoma for 30 years,” he said. “The Lord used these people to give me a shepherd’s heart. Serving as Executive Director put me in a position to learn from godly leaders in churches and ministries of all sizes. I have developed a burden for encouraging pastors and ministry leaders to give careful attention to their own wellness and the wellness of their families.”
Trustees heard Dilbeck’s testimony of coming to trust Christ as his Lord and Savior, and his calling to ministry. Dilbeck gave thanks to Southern Baptists for the opportunities they have provided him and looks forward to continuing serving in this new role.
Born in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, Dilbeck earned his undergraduate in religion from Oklahoma Baptist University. He holds two degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary — a Master of Divinity obtained in 1992 and a Doctor of Ministry earned in 2002.
The Dilbecks have three grown and married sons and eight grandchildren. B&R
