Stephen N. Rummage to lead Florida Baptists

JACKSONVILLE–Stephen N. Rummage has been elected to lead the Florida Baptist State Convention as executive director-treasurer.

The senior pastor of Quail Springs Baptist Church in Oklahoma City since 2019, Rummage was tapped by the Florida Baptist State Board of Missions during its July 18 meeting at the Baptist Building in Jacksonville. He will assume his new role effective Aug. 17.

Search committee chairperson Jeff Robinson, lead pastor, Grace Fellowship: A Church for All Nations, described a search process that was marked by unity and God’s leadership.

Mike Orr, president, Florida Baptist State Convention and senior pastor, First Baptist Church, Chipley, who served as an ex officio member of the search team, agreed. Orr said, “The Spirit of God led us to Stephen Rummage with such incredible unity. It was a supernatural work. God’s hand was in the process.”

Several search committee members shared their personal perspectives with the entire State Board of Missions in calling Rummage to serve Florida Baptists. Search committee member Nicki Glenn, pastor’s wife, Stetson Baptist Church, DeLand, said that Rummage’s “deep faith, visionary leadership, commitment to unity and financial acumen make him the perfect choice” to serve as Florida Baptists’ next executive director-treasurer.

Rummage, 55, is no stranger to Florida Baptists, serving as senior pastor of Bell Shoals Church in Brandon from 2009 to 2019.  Under his leadership, the church started four new campuses in addition to the original campus and baptized 444 people in 2017.

During his season of ministry in the Florida Baptist State Convention, Rummage served as state convention president from 2016 to 2018. In 2012, he was president of the Florida Baptist Pastors’ Conference, and from 2012 to 2014, he was chair of Florida Baptists’ Committee on Order of Business.

Beyond serving in Florida, Rummage served as co-pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, from 2004 to 2009, and he served as pastor or interim pastor at other churches in North Carolina and Louisiana.

Rummage also has served actively in denominational life. In 2024 he was president of the Southern Baptist Convention Pastors’ Conference. From 2016 to 2018, he served as chair of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, where he served as a member for two terms (2006-2009, 2013-2019). Additionally, since 1996, Rummage has been a professor of preaching at various Southern Baptist seminaries.

Rummage’s daily teaching broadcast, “Moving Forward,” airs on more than 500 radio stations nationwide. He has authored seven books and preached in 15 countries.

He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Preaching from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary; a Master of Divinity with Biblical Languages from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina, and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from University of North Carolina in Greensboro.

He and his wife, Michele, have been married and in ministry together since 1991. They have one son, Joshua, a pharmacist who lives in Brandon with his wife, Morgan.

In remarks to the State Board of Missions, Rummage said that he “is overwhelmed by this opportunity and responsibility” but that he feels “absolutely called to this assignment and I know God has led us to where we are today” to serve Florida Baptists as executive director-treasurer. “God’s sufficiency is all I need” in this transition, he said.

Rummage highlighted three words as he accepts the leadership role for Florida Baptists: continue, strengthen and learn.

He does not have a vision, he said, to “change the direction” of the state convention, but rather “to push the throttle forward.” Next, he said, “There is always more we can do for God’s glory.” Finally, he said, “I want to see and hear and learn and know Florida Baptists.”

As the 11th executive director of the Florida Baptist Convention, Rummage succeeds Tommy Green, who announced his retirement in April 2024 after serving in that role since June 2015.

“I am excited about the future of the Florida Baptist Convention under the leadership of Stephen Rummage. I have great respect and deep appreciation for the proven ministry of Stephen. He will continue to lead the amazing churches of Florida to be on mission of reaching Florida and beyond for Christ,” Green said.

The unanimous recommendation was brought by a nine-person search committee appointed at the time of Green’s retirement announcement.

In addition to Robinson, Orr and Glenn, other members of the nine-member search committee were: Vice Chairperson James Ross, lead pastor, Church on Bayshore, Niceville; Lisa Letson, layperson, pastor’s wife, First Baptist Church, Arcadia; John Marsh, lead pastor, Bella Vista Baptist Church, Edgewater; Alberto Ocana, senior pastor, Iglesia Bautista Northside, Hialeah; Adrian Taylor, lead pastor, Springhill Missionary Baptist Church, Gainesville; and Scott Wilson, lead pastor, First Baptist Church, Melbourne.