McLaurin grateful for experience he gained as TBMB staffer
Editor’s Note: Former Tennessee Baptist Mission Board staff member Willie McLaurin was tapped as interim president/CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee on Feb. 1. Full story here.
By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org
NASHVILLE — The significance of the timing of his selection as interim president/CEO of the Southern Baptist Executive Committee was not lost on Willie McLaurin.
McLaurin stepped into his new role on the first day of Black History Month. He is the first African American to lead an SBC entity.
McLaurin, vice president for Great Commission relations and mobilization for the EC since late 2019, fills the vacancy created by Ronnie Floyd who stepped down from the position last October.
He spoke of both of his grandfathers, now deceased, who lived in another era and culture. “They would have never been able to do something like this,” he said.
“I am standing on the shoulders of so many people of all ethnicities and backgrounds, but together we are all standing on the promises of God,” he affirmed.
A native of North Carolina, McLaurin has been a Tennessee Baptist most of his adult life. He has served as senior pastor of Greater Hope Baptist Church in Union City and executive pastor of Greater Missionary Baptist Church in Clarksville. While at Greater Hope Baptist Church, McLaurin was asked to serve as a member of the Executive Board of the Tennessee Baptist Convention (now Tennessee Baptist Mission Board).
He was placed on the Board’s leadership development committee. He recalled a meeting in 2004. “I walked into the meeting as a committee member and walked out as a staff member,” he laughed.
As he reflects on those days, he is grateful that James Porch, then the executive director, and the Executive Board were willing to take a chance on him.
Current TBMB staff member Steve Holt and retiree Gary Rickman both worked closely with McLaurin during his 15-year tenure as a staff member.
“Early on in my relationship with Willie I recognized in him strong leadership qualities and had the privilege of being part of his hiring process in coming to TBMB and then worked with him for about 12 years,” said Rickman who now serves as a consultant to the TBMB.
“I appreciated the quality of work that he did for the kingdom. Working with a state convention has given him a great perspective of how Southern Baptists work together to accomplish the Great Commission,” added Rickman, who was McLaurin’s supervisor during a portion of his tenure.
Rickman also saw a different side of McLaurin. “I had the privilege of having Willie as my pastor when he served as interim pastor of a church where I am a member. I saw his great leadership qualities and communications skills as he served so effectively in that role.”
Steve Holt, church services director for the TBMB, observed that “for almost 20 years I have watched Willie exercise true humility and servant leadership among the various constituencies to which he ministered.
“Willie is one of the most gifted and driven leaders I have ever been around. No one I know has been more committed to growing spiritually, relationally, physically, intellectually and in his leadership capacity — all at the same time,” Holt continued.
“In God’s Providence, Southern Baptists now have a man who has been building relational bridges throughout his ministry. I cannot help but believe that our Father has uniquely prepared him for ‘such a time as this.’
“I believe that Willie is superbly positioned and gifted to give vital leadership to the Executive Committee and the Southern Baptist Convention during these critical days,” Holt added.
Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, was a pastor in the state when McLaurin joined the staff, but he quickly saw McLaurin’s skills and abilities. He later asked McLaurin to serve as special assistant to the executive director.
“Willie McLaurin is perceived as a nice guy by all who know him,” Davis said. “Yet his water runs much deeper than his genuine kindness. He is a gentleman processing only a Kingdom agenda.
“I have walked with this brother in challenging times and have utmost confidence in him because he possesses the rare combination of humility, intelligence, a servant’s heart and the ability to lead. The Executive Committee is fortunate to have Pastor Willie serving as interim president and CEO,” Davis said.
McLaurin is appreciative of all the staff who invested in him over the years and he is especially grateful for Davis who he credited too for taking a chance on him when he invited him to become his associate.
“He mentored me. He poured into my life, and I really attribute those five years of serving alongside him, to helping to fine tune and develop the character and competencies that I needed to be able to even come to the SBC Executive Committee (in 2019).”
The new EC interim president also is grateful to all the Tennessee Baptist churches that entrusted their pulpits to him over the years. “I’ve lost count in the number of churches that I have preached in, beyond doing interims — countless number of revivals, associational meetings and Bible conferences.” In addition, he is a regular speaker at TBMB events such as the Woman’s Missionary Union Get-Together and the Bivocational Pastors and Wives Retreat held each year. McLaurin also was a featured speaker at last fall’s Summit in Brentwood.
Since 2005, McLaurin has held one interim pastorate every year, a role that he takes seriously. “When I serve as interim, my goal is just to really love the people and try to make sure the church is as healthy as possible, so that when the new pastor comes in, all he has to do is pray, prepare and preach,” he said.
The basic pastoral care that he has been given the opportunity to provide to churches in Tennessee has helped shape him to be ready for his new role, he affirmed.
“I really believe that’s what Southern Baptists need right now. Obviously, they need someone who is going to lead, but they also need someone who’s going to care about the mission, and who’s going to care about our churches, care about our pastors, care about our entities, and just care about people in general,” McLaurin said.
McLaurin is well aware of the challenges he will face in the days ahead. “We have to strengthen, lengthen and deepen our Great Commission relationships in order to win our world to Jesus Christ,” he said.
“It will take the gracious hand of God breaking our hearts over the lostness in the world and the disunity that exists in our Southern Baptist family,” he continued. “True unity is found only in Jesus Christ.”
John E. Rollins Sr., McLaurin’s pastor at Simeon Baptist Church in Antioch, is confident that McLaurin has what it takes to unite Southern Baptists.
“Willie has a personality that people love,” Rollins observed. “He shows his love to everyone. It doesn’t matter the race, ethnicity or the culture.”
Rollins also noted that McLaurin “is a person who can bring unity in terms of bringing people together because his major focus is on the Kingdom.”
The Simeon Baptist pastor acknowledged that the SBC has had its problems and still does. “I see him as a unifier. If the SBC is ever going to come together, Willie will be the one who can make it happen.” B&R