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Everett elected as BGCT executive


DALLAS (BP)–Randel Everett, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Newport News, Va., was elected executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Feb. 26.

“I am excited about the future of Texas Baptists and how God is going to use Randel Everett to focus our resources and relationships on Kingdom work in Texas,” said Ken Hugghins, chairman of the search committee that recommended Everett, according to a BGCT news release.

When Everett was nominated in late January, Hugghins said he “met the criteria of an executive director who could lead the convention in this crucial time in which Texas Baptists appear segmented and financial issues recently caused the convention to lay off 29 people.”

Everett succeeds Charles Wade, who retired from the position Jan. 31.

Besides serving the Newport News congregation, which is affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Southern Baptist Convention, Everett is the former president of the John Leland Center for Theological Studies in Arlington, Va. He served as chairman of the Baptist World Alliance’s education and evangelism commission from 2000-05.

He also was pastor of Columbia Baptist Church in Falls Church, Va.; First Baptist Church in Pensacola, Fla.; First Baptist Church in Benton, Ark., during which time he served as president of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention’s executive board; and three Texas churches: University Baptist in Fort Worth, Inglewood Baptist in Grand Prairie and First Baptist in Gonzales. Everett served as a member of the BGCT executive board from 1978-79.

A native of Fort Worth, Everett holds a doctorate and a master’s degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth and a bachelor’s degree from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas.

He and his wife, Sheila, have two grown children.
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Compiled by Baptist Press assistant editor Mark Kelly.

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