Ken Whitten, senior pastor of Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, has announced that he will be nominating North Carolina Pastor J.D. Greear for president of the Southern Baptist Convention at this year’s meeting, June 12-13 in Dallas.
Greear, pastor of The Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, was previously nominated for president in 2016 but withdrew his name from consideration when neither he nor fellow nominee Steve Gaines were able to garner a majority of votes. Greear removed himself in order to allow Gaines, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, Tenn., a clear path and to maintain unity within the denomination.
Whitten believes Greear can build on the themes Gaines has prioritized over the last two years, namely prayer and evangelism. But Greear would also highlight church planting and denominational unity across racial lines.
“He, of course, is all about the Gospel and believes the basis of our unity as Southern Baptists is the Gospel,” Whitten said. “He believes the Baptist Faith and Message is narrow enough to unite us but broad enough to allow freedom.”
Whitten said Greear’s track record with Southern Baptists speaks for itself:
- 600-800 baptisms a year
- 158 International Mission Board missionaries currently on the field
- 40 Southern Baptist domestic church plants
- 4% of the Summit Church budget earmarked for Cooperative giving
- 19% of the Summit Church budget allocated for Great Commission giving
“J.D. will be a guy that will represent us well to the nations and help motivate pastors like myself to get the nations on our hearts, plant churches and reach the lost,” said Whitten.
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By Nicole Kalil, Florida Baptist Convention, January 29, 2018