JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Members of First Baptist Church, Jacksonville, Fla., voted to call Mac Brunson as senior pastor in a Feb. 19 vote. Brunson has been senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Dallas, since 1999. “I can’t imagine God bringing me to such a wonderful place like this,” Brunson said emotionally at being called to the 28,000-member church. “But in my heart, I sense this is where God has called me, and with your help, I will do my best to be your pastor.” First, Jacksonville, announced Feb. 12 that Brunson would preach in view of a call Feb. 19. The announcement came five days after Jerry Vines — pastor of First, Jacksonville, for more than 23 years — preached his final sermon to the congregation.
First, Dallas, reported on its Web site that Brunson’s last Sunday there will be March 5. Brunson was pastor of Green Street Baptist Church, High Point, N.C., from 1992 until 1999 and previously served in churches in Virginia and South Carolina. He was president of the Southern Baptist Pastors Conference in 2003 and president of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina from 1997 until 1999. Brunson and his wife, Debbie, have been married for 26 years and have three children. Brunson was one of the featured speakers at a pastors conference this year at First, Jacksonville, and Vines called him out of the audience to pray at the beginning of the Feb. 7 service in which Vines preached. While never mentioning any future plans, some viewed the act as an implicit signal of Brunson’s future call to Jacksonville after months of speculation in Florida and Texas that he would be Vines’ successor.
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