Todd Deaton

Todd Deaton, editor of the Western Recorder, the Kentucky Baptist newspaper, included information about the members of the newly appointed Great Commission Task Force for Kentucky in this week’s issue. He also included information about the Cooperative Program giving record of the churches the committee members attend.

The committee was appointed last week by outgoing Kentucky Baptist Convention President John Mark Toby after approval for the committee was given by messengers to the annual meeting. Not included in the listing below are new KBC President Don Mathis, staff evangelist as Eastwood Baptist Church in Bowling Green, and KBC Executive Director Bill Mackey. Both men will also be on the committee by virtue of their roles.

Here’s the editorial:

Since the formation of a Great Commission Task Force for Kentucky was first proposed in August, speculation has been mounting as to who might be appointed to serve on this pivotal study group, which has been assigned the task of evaluating the effectiveness of the Kentucky Baptist Convention’s Mission Board and its agencies and institutions. Would the composition of the task force favor increased funding for Southern Baptist Convention interests and international missions causes? Would its constituents be equally concerned about not compromising the integrity and vitality of KBC missions and ministries? Would its members be strong, evangelistic supporters of the Cooperative Program?

While certainly not definitive—since much rests on the specific recommendations of the national Great Commission Resurgence Task Force next June—a cursory analysis of the 15 people appointed by outgoing KBC President John Mark Toby during the state convention’s annual meeting last week seems in order. Among the group are 10 pastors, three laypersons, one director of missions and one agency head. Here’s a quick rundown:

Hershael York, the task force’s chairman, is pastor of Buck Run Baptist Church in Frankfort and a professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Buck Run has a resident membership of 1,020; contributed $112,479, or 10.0 percent of its undesignated receipts, through the Cooperative Program; and reported 18 baptisms in 2008. York is a past KBC president, and many Kentucky Baptists appreciated his leadership during Georgetown College’s departure from the state convention’s fold. This past year, York served as chairman of the KBC Committee on Committees and is a former chairman of its Committee on Nominations.

Paul Badgett is pastor of First Baptist Church of Pikeville, which has 983 resident members; contributed $89,112, or 8.9 percent of its undesignated receipts, through the Cooperative Program; and recorded 50 baptisms last year. He is a past KBC president and a former chairman of the KBC’s committees on Order of Business and Public Affairs.

Charles Barnes is a member of Hurstbourne Baptist Church in Louisville, which has 1,017 resident members; contributed $74,543, or 7.4 percent, of its undesignated receipts through CP; and baptized 10 people last year. A past KBC president, Barnes is known for his work in coordinating Crossover Louisville this past summer and in serving on the Baptist Faith and Message study committee in 2001. He is a former chairman of the Kentucky Baptist Foundation’s board, the KBC Committee on Order of Business, the mission study committee that led to Kentucky Baptists Connect; and the mission advisory committee that monitored Kentucky Baptists Connect. He also has served on the University of the Cumberlands and Southern Seminary trustee boards.

Joy Bolton is executive director of the Kentucky Baptist Woman’s Missionary Union, which is responsible for promoting and administrating the Eliza Broadus Offering for State Missions. She is a member Clayvillage Baptist Church in Shelbyville, which has 151 resident members, contributed $7,588, or 6.2 percent, through CP, and recorded three baptisms last year.

Jeff Crabtree is director of missions for Warren Baptist Association and a member of Hillvue Heights Baptist Church in Bowling Green, which has 4,833 resident members, contributed $76,000, or 2.5 percent of undesignated receipts, through CP, and reported 503 baptisms. Crabtree previously was the minister of education at Central Baptist Church in Corbin, where Darren Gaddis, a former KBC president, is pastor.

Rusty Ellison is pastor of Walnut Street Baptist Church in Louisville, which has 1,811 resident members, contributed $48,775, or 2.7 percent, to CP and recorded 21 baptisms. Previously Ellison was president of Kentucky Baptist Assemblies and was this year’s chairman of the Committee on Order of Business. He also has been a member of the state Mission Board.

Chad Fugitt is pastor of First Baptist Church of Monticello, which has 541 resident members, reported 11 baptisms and contributed $36,000, or 7.9 percent, through CP. He served as second vice president of the KBC in 2006-07 and was chairman of the Committee on Nominations this year.

Greg Faulls is pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Owensboro, which has 1,797 resident members, netted 48 baptisms and contributed $122,000 through CP, or 7.0 percent of its undesignated receipts. He is a former North American Mission Board trustee and was chairman of the search committee that called former NAMB President Geoff Hammond. He also has served on the state Mission Board and as a member of the KBC administrative committee and its Baptist Faith and Message study committee.

John Hale is a deacon at First Baptist Church of Mount Vernon, which reported 798 resident members, baptized 11 people and contributed $46,510, or 11.9 percent of its undesignated receipts, through CP. William Nations is pastor at Mount Vernon First.

Bill Henard, pastor of Porter Memorial Baptist Church in Lexington and a professor at Southern Seminary, is a past president of the KBC and a former first vice president of the SBC. Porter Memorial has 2,580 members, recorded 53 baptisms and contributed $199,714, or 9.4 percent, through CP. He is a former trustee chairman of LifeWay Christian Resources and is serving as a trustee for the University of the Cumberlands. Porter Memorial topped $7 million in total CP giving this past year.

James Jones is pastor of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Campbellsville and a past KBC president. Pleasant Hill has 513 resident members, saw five baptisms and contributed $66,922, or 29.4 percent, through CP. Jones, who was awarded the state convention’s CP Distinguished Leadership Award last year, has served as a trustee of Campbellsville University and Sunrise Children’s Services, and has been a member of the KBC administrative committee and the Committee on Public Affairs. He also was chairman of the special committee to celebrate the 75th anniversary of CP.

Jessica Milburn is the wife of Kevin Milburn, pastor of Union Baptist Church, which has 722 members, recorded 16 baptisms and contributed $37,277, or 7.8 percent, through CP.

Sam Rainer is the new pastor of First Baptist Church of Murray, which has 1,628 resident members, baptized 13 people and contributed $97,338, or 10.3 percent, through CP last year. He is the son of Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources, and a researcher and author.

Kevin Smith is a professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and pastor of Watson Memorial Baptist Church in Louisville, which has 273 resident members, reported 13 baptisms and contributed $7,070, or 4.2 percent, through CP. Smith is a former KBC first vice president and he preached the convention sermon in 2008.

Dan Summerlin is pastor of Lone Oak First Baptist Church of Paducah, which reported 2,577 members and 38 baptisms and contributed $256,669, or 9.2 percent, through the CP. He is chairman of the new Kentucky Baptists Connect advisory committee and served on the Committee on Resolutions. Summerlin was elected as a trustee of the Western Recorder at this year’s annual meeting and he will preach next year’s convention sermon when the KBC meets at Lexington’s Immanuel Baptist Church.

Combined, the members of the task force represent churches that contribute, on average, 8.99 percent of their undesignated receipts through the Cooperative Program. Even without the boost of Pleasant Hill’s high percentage, the average CP contribution of their churches is 7.53 percent—still well above the KBC’s average church contribution of 6.99 percent and the SBC average of 6.1 percent in 2008. And, even without Hillvue Heights’ addition of 503 baptisms, their churches averaged 22.14 baptisms last year. The task force’s membership also reflects extensive years of service to both Kentucky Baptists and Southern Baptists. From these early indications, President Toby has appointed a task force that will both understand the urgency of finding additional resources to enable Southern Baptists to fulfill the Great Commission globally, while appreciating and affirming the ministry of the KBC Mission Board staff and every Kentucky Baptist entity.

Western Recorder issue date: November 17, 2009