Everett elected as BGCT executive

by Staff                                                                                                              Vol. XXI, No. 4, April 2008

[Editor’s Note: If any reader has been uncertain as to the direction of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, the following article should make it clear. Pay attention to the bold print phrases (my emphasis). TCP]

Randel Everett, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Newport News, VA, was elected executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Feb. 26.

"I am excited about the future of Texas Baptists and how God is going to use Randel Everett to focus our resources and relationships on Kingdom work in Texas," said Ken Hugghins, chairman of the search committee that recommended Everett, according to a BGCT news release.

When Everett was nominated in late January, Hugghins said he "met the criteria of an executive director who could lead the convention in this crucial time in which Texas Baptists appear segmented and financial issues recently caused the convention to lay off 29 people."

Everett succeeds Charles Wade, who retired from the position Jan. 31.

Besides serving the Newport News congregation, which is affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Southern Baptist Convention, Everett is the former president of the John Leland Center for Theological Studies in Arlington, VA. He served as chairman of the Baptist World Alliance's education and evangelism commission from 2000-05.

He also was pastor of Columbia Baptist Church in Falls Church, VA; First Baptist Church in Pensacola, FL; First Baptist Church in Benton, AR, during which time he served as president of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention's executive board; and three Texas churches: University Baptist in Fort Worth, Inglewood Baptist in Grand Prairie, and First Baptist in Gonzales. Everett served as a member of the BGCT executive board from 1978-79.

A native of Fort Worth, Everett holds a doctorate and a master's degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth and a bachelor's degree from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas. [BP]

[Compiled by Baptist Press assistant editor Mark Kelly.]

[Editor’s Comments: Randel Everett led the John Leland Center founded in 1997-98 to provide liberal Baptists with an alternative to the newly conservative SBC seminaries. Subsequently, he pastored the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship-aligned First Baptist Church of Newport News. He also held important responsibilities in the Baptist World Alliance from which the SBC withdrew because of its liberal theology.

    Now Everett will lead one of the most determinedly liberal state conventions. Note the bold in the article‘s third paragraph. The search committee chairman acknowledges that this is a “crucial time” for the BGCT, that they appear divided, and have serious financial problems having had to “lay off 29 people.”

    The problems are not surprising since the BGCT continues its bullheaded rush to liberalism. And Texas churches are leaving the BGCT in droves. For the last four or five years the new, conservative Texas group, the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, has had a new church join every two or three days! T.C.P.]

[With information adapted from a news release from the Baptist General Convention of Texas.]