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Mathis Elected KBC President
11/10/2009
Messengers elected Don Mathis, staff evangelist at Eastwood Baptist Church in Bowling Green, by acclamation during the afternoon session of the 172nd annual meeting of the Kentucky Baptist Convention at Severns Valley Baptist Church. There were no other candidates. Click here to download this photo.
ELIZABETHTOWN – Don Mathis, staff evangelist at Eastwood Baptist Church in Bowling Green, was elected president of Kentucky’s largest denomination today.
Messengers affirmed Mathis by acclamation during the afternoon session of the 172nd annual meeting of the Kentucky Baptist Convention at Severns Valley Baptist Church. There were no other candidates.
Also elected unopposed were Adam Greenway, assistant professor of evangelism and applied apologetics for The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, as first vice president, and Rick Hatley, pastor of High Point Baptist Church in Mayfield, as second vice president.
The convention also reelected Wilma Simmons, member of Big Spring Baptist Church in Ekron, as secretary. Pat Reaves, member of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Louisville, was elected assistant secretary.
This is the third consecutive year in which there was only one candidate for each elected position.
Darren Gaddis, pastor of Central Baptist Church in Corbin, nominated Mathis for president. Gaddis praised Mathis for his leadership in Cooperative Program giving, as well as his ability to connect Kentucky Baptists from all generations.
“I make this nomination knowing that our convention is at a crossroads,” said Gaddis. “I know of no other Kentucky Baptist better equipped to lead us through this time than Don Mathis. It is my conviction that we need his leadership now more than ever before.”
Mathis, who has been a full-time vocational evangelist since 1999, previously served as KBC president in 1985-86. He has also served previously as president of the Kentucky Baptist Pastors’ Conference, as well as several KBC committees.
During his ministry career, Mathis served for 30 years in pastorates at five Kentucky Baptist churches, and also worked for the West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists and LifeWay Christian Resources.
Mathis is a graduate of Austin Peay State University, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Cumberland College. He currently serves as a trustee for Clear Creek Baptist Bible College in Pineville.
Newly elected First Vice President Greenway is currently a member of the KBC’s Committee on Constitution and Bylaws and is serving as chairman of the ad hoc committee appointed to study the size of the convention’s Mission Board.
Bill Henard, pastor of Porter Memorial Baptist Church in Lexington, nominated Greenway for the office. Henard served as KBC President in 2007-08.
A graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Greenway joined the seminary’s faculty in 2007. Previously, he was the pastor of The Baptist Church at Andover in Lexington for five years.
Greenway also holds degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Samford University. He is a member of First Baptist Church of Mount Washington, and currently serves as a trustee for LifeWay Christian Resources.
Newly elected Second Vice President Rick Hatley currently serves on the KBC Mission Board and on the Committee on Nominations. Hatley was nominated by Alan Dodson, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Lexington.
Prior to becoming pastor of High Point Baptist Church in Mayfield, Hatley served as pastor of First Baptist Church in Pinckneyville, Ill. He also previously served as minister of education at Central Baptist Church in Winchester and Central Baptist Church in Corbin.
He is a former church development director for the West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists, and served for four years as a trustee for LifeWay Christian Resources.
Hatley is a graduate of Murray State University and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, delivered the convention sermon during the afternoon session. Preaching from John 3, Mohler emphasized the importance of “knowing what the gospel is and what the gospel is not” as one shares one’s faith.
Drawing from the example of Nicodemus who wanted to know more from Jesus, Mohler said true belief in the gospel will always involve believing in Jesus and “being born again.”
“We are surrounded by a global context of religious and spiritual confusion, and…Jesus says, we cannot see the kingdom of God unless we are born again,” he said. “Christianity cannot be understood from the outside.”
“Our task is to share the gospel, and take the gospel to every single human being we can,” said Mohler. “The gospel is not a sales message that we get to communicate, it is a command that we get to obey.”
Also during the Tuesday afternoon session, Jim McKinley and several churches were recognized for outstanding leadership and support of the Cooperative Program, Southern Baptists’ method for collectively funding mission and ministry efforts.
McKinley, a former International Mission Board missionary for 34 years, was awarded the Distinguished Cooperative Program Leadership Award for his support of the Cooperative Program and for lifelong involvement in CP missions and ministries.
Messengers also affirmed KBC President John Mark Toby’s nominations to the Committee on Committees, the committee that names members to all other standing Convention committees. Those named include: T.J. Frances of South Jefferson Baptist Church in Louisville, Paul Chitwood of First Baptist Church of Mount Washington, Phil Fisher of Bethel Baptist Church in Eubank, and Floyd Paris of Unity Baptist Church in Ashland.
During a report from the Committee on Arrangements, messengers approved a motion to host the 2012 annual meeting at Immanuel Baptist Church in Lexington.
New board members for the coming year were also approved by messengers during a report from the Committee on Nominations.
At the open of the Tuesday afternoon session, 794 messengers were registered, along with 191 church members and four visitors.
The Kentucky Baptist Convention is a cooperative missions and ministry organization made up of nearly 2.400 autonomous Baptist churches in Kentucky. A variety of state and worldwide ministries are coordinated through its administrative offices in Louisville, including: missions work, disaster relief, ministry training and support, church development, evangelism and more. For more, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Release prepared by Kristie Randolph, KBC Communications
