By Gary D. Myers, NOBTS Communications
NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary trustee chairman Frank Cox announced the names for the 11-member presidential search committee today (Oct. 11) and called on Southern Baptists to pray through the search process.
“We ask that Southern Baptists pray for us as we seek God’s man to lead New Orleans Seminary into the next century of ministry here in New Orleans and surrounding regions,” Cox said.
The NOBTS bylaws call for the trustee chairman to appoint a committee with 11 voting members — including the board chairman, the immediate past chairman, one faculty member, one student and seven other board members.
The president search committee is as follows:
— Bryant Barnes, trustee; pastor, First Baptist Church, Columbia, Miss.;
— Jack Bell, trustee; pastor, First Baptist Church, Hornbeck, La.;
— Frank Cox, trustee chairman; pastor, North Metro Baptist Church, Lawrenceville, Ga.;
— John Foster, trustee; retired educator, New Orleans;
— David Leavell, trustee; pastor, First Baptist Church, Millington, Tenn.;
— Jackie Myers, trustee; education specialist, Sicily Island, La.;
— Gary Shows, trustee; pastor, Temple Baptist Church, Hattiesburg, Miss.;
— David Um, trustee; pastor, Antioch Baptist Church, Cambridge, Mass.;
— Dan Wilson, immediate past trustee chairman; professor of biblical studies, California Baptist University;
— Bo Rice, faculty representative; assistant professor of evangelism and preaching and dean of graduate studies at NOBTS; and
— Michael Wang, student representative; doctor of philosophy student at NOBTS.
“I have deliberately chosen a cross section from our board of trustees, seminary faculty and student body which represents our diversity in our ethnicity as well as demographically,” Cox said. “Each one chosen brings a wealth of experience that will strengthen the process.”
The NOBTS board of trustees approved a bylaw amendment at their Oct. 3 meeting that added two trustee alternates. The alternates will attend all the meetings but will not have a vote unless another search committee member withdraws from the committee.
If a search committee member withdraws, Cox will appoint one of the alternates to serve as a voting member. The two alternates are Tony Lambert, pastor of Riverside Church in Denver, Colo., and Waylon Bailey, pastor of First Baptist Church in Covington, La.
The search committee will begin formal meetings in November. After the initial meeting, the committee will release a list of qualifications for the type of leader they are seeking and will establish an avenue by which Southern Baptists can recommend qualified individuals for consideration, Cox said.
