SBOM adds two to staff, promotes another

Two new state missionaries have joined the staff of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM), and another staffer is moving into a director role. 

Rick Barnhart begins his role as director of the SBOM’s office of associational missions and church planting Feb. 1. He has been serving as director-elect since Aug. 1 under Gary Swafford, who retired Jan. 31 (see story, this page).

Barnhart previously served as director of missions for Baldwin Baptist Association. He has served in various ministry roles in Alabama and Florida. 

Also serving in Barnhart’s office will be new associate Lamar Duke. Duke will focus on partnering with Alabama Baptist churches, associations and catalytic missionaries to start 32 new churches each year.

He most recently served as director of missions for the Baptist Convention of New York and previously served as pastor of a number of churches across Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and New Jersey.

Also joining the SBOM staff is new associate Mark Wakefield. Wakefield will specialize in chaplaincy and disaster relief, a ministry emphasis formerly located in the office of associational missions and church planting that has now been moved to the office of global missions.

Wakefield has served as a Southern Baptist disaster relief chaplain since 2005 and in various other church and chaplaincy roles in Alabama.

Duke and Wakefield were both approved at the Jan. 17 SBOM executive committee meeting. 

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