By Message Staff
BOSSIER CITY, La. (LBM) – The Conservative Baptist Network has identified prominent Southern Baptist leaders, including Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas; Kelvin Cochran, a former Atlanta, Georgia, police chief who won a $1.2 million settlement for wrongful termination by the city because of his biblical views about marriage and human sexuality; and, Charles Stanley, pastor of the historic First Baptist Church in Atlanta, and a former SBC president, as members of its 48-member national steering council.
The grassroots movement of more than 5,000 individuals and churches “concerned about the current direction and perceived future of the convention,” also released a schedule of events that figure to help grow the nascent organization as it seeks to connect like-minded Baptists in the effort to “steer the Convention once again to a conservative position.”
Three events are available for registration:
— Awakening: A Plea for Revival (August 31, 2020, in Bossier City, Louisiana);
— The Conservative Baptist Bible Conference (September 17, 2020, Memphis, Tennessee); and,
— Pastor, Prophet, Patriot: A Freedom and Religious Liberty Event (October 27, 2020, Cleveland, Georgia).
According to Jurkovich, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Bossier City and spokesman for the network, the group is a diverse, comprising multi-ethnic and multi-generational men and women from across the United States who share a desire to reach the lost with the Gospel and to help raise up a new generation committed not only to inerrancy but also to the sufficiency of Scripture.
Jurkovich expressed excitement for how the steering council will provide support and leadership to the network.
“It has been amazing to connect with pastors, churches and lay leaders from across our country and Southern Baptist Family,” Jurkovich told the Baptist Message. “We share a love and appreciation for how God has used Southern Baptists over the years. God is using the message and vision for revival, evangelism and the sufficiency of God’s Word to stir hearts again at a critical time for our nation and denomination.”
A number of other Louisiana Baptists join Jurkovich as part of the steering group, and include: Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C. and former interim pastor at Greenwell Springs Baptist Church; Chuck Kelley, immediate past president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary; Nathan Davis, pastor; First Baptist Church, Coushatta, Lewis Richerson, pastor, Woodlawn Baptist Church, Baton Rouge; Corey Smith, pastor, Heritage Baptist Church, Shreveport; Lorine Spatt, executive assistant, First Baptist Church, Bossier City; and, Randy Zeilger, student pastor, First Baptist Church, Bossier City.
Other council members are: Anthony Allen, president, Hannibal-Lagrange University, Hannibal, Missouri; Mark Ballard, president, Northeastern Baptist College, Bennington, Vermont; Stoney Benfield, pastor, Prospect Baptist Church, Albemarle, North Carolina; Lee Brand, vice president and dean, Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, Memphis, Tennessee; Brad Bright, president and CEO, Bright Media Foundation, Orlando, Florida; Steve Brumbelow, pastor, Southview Baptist Church, Rosharon, Texas; Sam Bunnell, associate pastor of worship and discipleship, South Reno Baptist Church, Reno, Nevada; Emir Caner, president, Truett McConnell University, Cleveland, Georgia; Nathan Cole, vice president, Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, Memphis, Tennessee; Scott Colter, executive director, Sandy Creek Foundation, Dallas, Texas; Sharayah Colter, journalist and owner, Colter and Company, Dallas, Texas; Mark Coppenger, retired professor, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky; Mike Courtney, evangelist, Garland, Texas; Anthony George, senior associate pastor, First Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia; Blake Gideon, pastor, First Baptist Church, Edmond, Oklahoma; Brad Graves, pastor, First Baptist Church, Ada, Oklahoma; Jim Gregory, pastor, First Southern Baptist Church, Mountain Home, Idaho; Tom Hatley, pastor, Immanuel Baptist Church, Global Outreach Center, Rogers, Arkansas; Gerald Harris, retired editor, Christian Index, Atlanta, Ga.; Jason Hobbs, pastor, Calvary Baptist Church, Gainesville, Texas; Chris Hughes, president and CEO, the Christhall Corporation, Boone, North Carolina; Joe Knott, lawyer, Knott & Boyle, Raleigh, North Carolina; Bill Logan, pastor, Immanuel Baptist Church, Ridgecrest, Califorina; Rod Martin, founder and CEO, the Martin Organization, Destin, Florida; Sherri Martin, co-founder, the Martin Foundation, Destin, Florida; Michael O’Brien, Christian musician and recording artist, Columbia, Tennessee; Bob Pearle, pastor, Birchman Baptist Church, Fort Worth, Texas; Tom Phillips, vice president, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Charlotte, North Carolina; Jessica Pigg, author and pastor’s wife, Fellowship Church, Immokalee, Florida; Tim Pigg, pastor, Fellowship Church, Immokalee, Florida; Phil Roberts, director for international theological education, Global Ministries Foundation, Cordova, Tennessee; Ronnie Rogers, pastor, Trinity Baptist Church, Norman, Okla.; Jeff Schreve, pastor, First Baptist Church, Texarkana, Texas; Michael Spradlin, president, Mid-America Theological Seminary, Memphis, Tennessee; Mike Stone, pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church, Blackshear, Georgia; Chris Thompson, pastor, South River Baptist Church, Statesville, North Carolina; and Tom Tucker, president, Tom Tucker Ministries, Rock Hill, South Carolina.
