SBCV Employs Professional Staff

                                                                                                              Vol. X, No. 9, Nov/Dec 1997

The Executive Board of the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia voted unanimously at its November meeting to employ four new professional staff members. They are: Mark Baldwin, Kenny Gooch, Ken Nienke, and Mark Reon. Baldwin and Reon will work out of Richmond, Gooch out of Newport News, and Nienke out of Roanoke. Emphasis will be placed upon short-term local church and mission field staff assignments. Staff are assigned regionally in an attempt to better serve every part of the state, and to maintain a closer working relationship with existing churches and new mission starts. Every staff person will be involved in hands-on projects with strategies designed to promote planting new churches and effective church growth.

Mark Baldwin will serve the SBCV as a Church Growth Consultant with the responsibility of assisting the Executive Director in the development, implementation, and evaluation of Christian growth and health strategies for churches primarily located in, but not limited to, the Eastern half of the state. He is presently Minister of Education and Administration at Grove Avenue Baptist in Richmond. He has served Grove Avenue church since 1993. Prior to coming to Grove he was Minister of Administration and Adult Education at Swift Creek Baptist Church in Midlothian, Virginia. He has a business degree from Virginia Tech and a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth. He and his wife, Connie, have a daughter, Kelly, 8.

Kenny Gooch is employed to serve as a Missions Catalyst with the responsibility of assisting the Executive Director in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the missions and church planting strategies for churches primarily located in, but not limited to, the Eastern half of Virginia. In addition, he will coordinate Virginia, North America, and international partnership missions. He is presently pastor of Warwick Baptist Church in Newport News. He came to Warwick in 1990 from a pastorate at Hillside Baptist Church in Alvarado, Texas. He has served the SBCV as Second Vice President and Coordinator of the Romanian Mission Project. He graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a computer science degree in information systems processing and analysis. Prior to his call to full time ministry, he was a building contractor and corporate vice president of Advance Electric in Richmond, and headed its subsidiary, Advance Computer & Telecom. He is a graduate of Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth with a Master of Divinity. He and his wife have three children, Melonie (20), Kenneth II (17), and Daniel (14).

Ken Nienke is employed as a Church Growth Consultant. He will be responsible for assisting the Executive Director in the development, implementation, and evaluation of Christian growth and health strategies for churches primarily located in, but not limited to, the Western half of the state. He has served West Salem Baptist Church in several capacities since 1980, and presently serves as Director of Education and Discipleship. He is a graduate of Radford University in education, and presently is working toward a graduate degree from Luther Rice Seminary. He and his wife, Beth, have two children, Rebekah (6) and Christopher (4).

Mark Reon will serve SBCV as an Evangelism Assistant. He will assist the Executive Director in the development, implementation, and evaluation of evangelism strategies with special emphasis upon high school and college campuses. He presently serves Colonial Heights Baptist Church as Minister of Youth. Prior to this, he was Minister of Youth at North Palm Beach Baptist Church and a B.S.U. Director in Miami. He is a graduate in religion and psychology from Florida International University, and has a masters degree in religious education from Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth. He and his wife, Julia, have two daughters, Rachel (4) and Jessee (2).

All four new staff members begin on 1 January 1998.

[Editorial Comment: The hiring of these staff members marks a major step in the growth of the SBCV. Now we will be better equipped to counsel existing churches and to plant new ones. Please be in prayer that the Lord lead in every decision, at every challenge so that His will may be done and many more souls be won to His kingdom. TCP]