BGCT executive director resigns, accepts pastorate

MIDLAND, Texas — The executive director of Southern Baptists’ largest state convention is leaving his post after less than three years to return to the pastorate. The Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT) announced Dec. 6 that Randel Everett had accepted a call — approved unanimously by the church after a trial sermon Dec. 5 — to the pulpit of First Baptist Church, Midland, Texas.

The 61-year-old Everett has been serving as the church’s interim pastor for several months. While the BGCT began several new initiatives under Everett’s leadership, including Texas Hope 2010 — a holistic evangelism-and-social-service program aimed at sharing Christ with every Texan by Easter 2010 — and an effort by the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission and the Baylor University School of Social Work to end hunger in the Lone Star State by 2015.

However, under Everett’s leadership, the state convention has faced significant challenges posed by stagnating revenues, controversies over gay-friendly member congregations and continuing competition from a rival state convention more closely aligned with the conservatives who dominate the Southern Baptist Convention’s leadership. He has previously served as pastor of several prominent Baptist congregations in Texas and elsewhere, including First Baptist Church, Newport News, Va.; Columbia Baptist Church, Falls Church, Va.; First Baptist Church, Pensacola, Fla.; First Baptist Church, Benton, Ark.; and University Baptist Church, Fort Worth, Texas.