Baptist and Reflector
Clay Hallmark, pastor of First Baptist Church, Lexington, will be nominated for the presidency of the Tennessee Baptist Convention in November.
FRANKLIN — Clay Hallmark, pastor of First Baptist Church, Lexington, since 2016, will be nominated for the presidency of the Tennessee Baptist Convention during Summit, to be held Nov. 14-17 at Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood.
David Green, pastor of First Baptist Church, Greeneville, informed the Baptist and Reflector recently of his intent to nominate Hallmark. “I have known and worked closely with Clay since 2016 when he came to Tennessee,” Green said.
“Clay is one of God’s choice servants. He has a proven track record of being a man of God, a consistent leader and a champion for the Cooperative Program and Tennessee missions. He will truly be a complement to our state convention,” Green added.
Hallmark, a graduate of Union University in Jackson, also holds a master of divinity from Beeson Divinity School at Samford University, Birmingham, Ala., and the doctor of ministry degree from New Orleans (La.) Baptist Theological Seminary.
Before coming to Tennessee, he served 15 years as senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Marion, Ark. While in the Arkansas Baptist Convention, Hallmark served two terms as president of the Arkansas Baptist Executive Committee, president of the Arkansas Baptist Pastor’s Conference and two terms as both first vice president and then president of the Arkansas convention.
He also represented the ABSC on the Southern Baptist Convention Committee on Nominations, as well as on the SBC Executive Committee.
Since coming to Tennessee, First Baptist, Lexington, is a top one percent contributor through the Cooperative Program, a top five contributor to the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions, and a leading church in baptisms. In the past five years, more than 300 people have been baptized and put on the road to discipleship at FBC.
The church is in partnership with the North American Mission Board in planting the first SBC church in Downtown Seattle, Wash. (City Center Baptist Church).
Hallmark has traveled extensively and led on many international mission trips and mission trips across North America. Each year he preaches numerous revivals, evangelism conferences, and leads Sunday School and leadership conferences.
For the past 32 years, he has been married to his wife Leslie, a sixth grade math teacher at Lexington Middle School. They have two grown daughters and one granddaughter. B&R
