Parks Urges Delayed Retirement

                                                                                                                                                                      Vol. IV, No. 7, October 1991

At the 14 August Foreign Mission Board (FMB) meeting Dr. Keith Parks expressed his desire to remain at the helm of the FMB through 1995, three years after he turns 65. Parks outlined his concept for accelerated worldwide evangelism and indicated that it would be a mistake to change FMB presidents before 1995. Parks will turn 64 in October and would become 68 in 1995. By this statement Dr. Parks brought the issue of his retirement a matter of public debate. (Preceding from Florida Baptist Witness, 22 August)

Comment: It has long been clear that Dr. Parks is strongly opposed to the conservative resurgence within the SBC, and he has a growing conservative majority on his board of trustees. Some trustees opined that Parks was attempting to pre-empt discussion of his retirement timing without seeking the judgment of the trustees. Ironically, his raising of the matter could produce a reaction leading to an earlier retirement than might otherwise have been the case.