by Sandy » Mon Dec 19, 2011 2:05 pm
The bulk of Everett's ministry was in Texas, prior to his time in Virginia.
Hardage's resume includes:
1. Development director of the BGCT's only theological school, at Baylor. How are you a development director for the only theological school in the convention and yet "not well known"?
2. Director of Missions of Waco Baptist Association, one of the state's largest, and with Baylor in it, very high profile and well connected, since Baylor and Truett put a lot of their grads in Texas Baptist churches.
3. 13 years as pastor of FBC Sulphur Springs, one of the BGCT's largest churches in East Texas.
4. Chairman and full allowable term member of the state missions commission, which is one of the central, most important and active convention committees.
5. Chairman and long term member of the state missions funding committee, another central committee with a high convention profile.
6. Trustee at East Texas Baptist University.
7. Trustee at Latham Springs Baptist Encampment.
8. Interim at Columbus Avenue, which is one of the largest and most visible churches in Waco, and where many Baylor faculty and administrators attend.
So a guy who's been in convention connections almost continuously for over 20 years is "not well known" and a "surprise"?
He's probably much less controversial than some of the names that were tossed around during the process, but even if you take the "Texas ties" out of predictable, you've got someone here who has pastored a big, prominent, influential church, and moved into an institutional executive position with more committee and board service than his predecessor had. So I still say he's a predictable choice.
He'll probably have to shoulder the same expectations that Everett did, though the expectations now might simply involve stopping the freefalling decline of Cooperative Program gifts, and stopping the exit or dual affiliation of churches to the "other" state convention instead of expecting the exec director to single-handedly reverse those trends. If it doesn't work out, this job will add enough to his retirement, and he's close enough to it, that he could exit with a nice golden parachute.
Just out of curiosity, BDW, who did you think had an "inside track" to this position?