NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–LifeWay Christian Resources has tapped Jay Wells, a pastoral ministries veteran of more than seven years, to direct its newly expanded African-American ministry.
Wells, 61, will seek to lead LifeWay in better serving African-American churches, in part by strengthening long-standing relationships with pastors and church staff members and by developing ties to new church leadership. Currently, there are 3,700 predominantly African American churches in the Southern Baptist Convention, and that number is growing.
“Our ultimate goal is to see African-American churches reach people for Christ,” said Wells, who joined LifeWay in 1989 and served most recently as pastoral ministry specialist.
“We are seeing more African-American churches turn to LifeWay for resources in Christian education,” he said. “I think there is a growing recognition of the quality of LifeWay training and resources that is prompting this to happen.”
The new African-American ministry team of three, headed by Wells, will be part of LifeWay’s church relations and consulting ministry under director Ralph Hodge.
“LifeWay has had an intentional ministry to African-American churches since 1985,” Hodge said. “The work has continued to grow over the years with the increased number of churches joining the SBC. Jay has been an integral part of this ministry and I believe is uniquely gifted by the Lord to lead LifeWay to an even more effective level of service.”
LifeWay is expanding its ministry, Hodge said, in response to growing requests for resources that meet the unique cultural needs of the African-American community.
“We have had direct input from the National African Fellowship of the SBC that we move in this direction, and we are eager to do so,” he said.
LifeWay has produced training resources and sponsored training events specifically for African-Americans since the mid 1980s, Wells said. In July, LifeWay launched a new website (www.lifeway.com/blackchurchlife) to speak more effectively to the issues and needs of the African-American community.
Wells holds a bachelor’s degree from Tuskegee (Ala.) University and a master of divinity degree from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife Carolyn have three adult children: Warrick, Denise and Craig. Wells previously served as minister of education and associate pastor at Emmanuel Baptist Church in San Jose, Calif., and on the staff of the California Southern Baptist Convention.
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