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Wednesday, July 06, 2005

And our New Pastor Is... Oh Wait, It's a Secret...

Mysteryperson Interesting article in the Commercial Appeal about Bellevue Baptist Church's choice of a new pastor to replace retiring Adrian Rogers.  This is a huge church... and one watched closely by many people.  The headline reads...

Bellevue finds Rogers successor
TAGLINE:  Identity will remain secret until Sunday services

This is one of the things that always gets me about pastoral searches and announcements... the secrecy.  Now, I understand that there are t's to be crossed and i's to be dotted (like this pastor telling his church he's leaving before this is announced at Bellevue), but is it necessary to cover everything with this intense 'secrecy'.  Why do we feel it necessary to play 'secret pastor'?

I guess, for me, the irony of this story is the story itself.  Rather than just wait and announce the new pastor on Sunday (and remove the 'secrecy' feeling in the first place), there is a pre-announcement saying that they have a chosen a new pastor... 'just can't say who he is'.

"After eight months of praying, searching, watching and waiting, we are 100 percent united and 100 percent convinced he is God's man for Bellevue," said Chuck Taylor, chairman of the search committee... we just can't tell you who he is.  :)

"He's a dynamic, anointed preacher with great vision and tremendous leadership ability."... we just can't tell you who he is...  :)

So why go public with a pre-announcement announcement?  Maybe to get more Bellevue people to show up for the vote?  Maybe to promote unity?  I don't know (but I'd like to).

Maybe we should start a pool here at MMIBlog on who the new pastor at Bellevue will be.  I'll start with the following odds:

Jerry Falwall at 500:1
Jim Henry at 300:1
Benny Hinn at 1,000,000:1

Todd Rhoades at 999,999:1 (right above Benny)

Hey, it could happen.  :)  Todd 

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July 6, 2005 in Leadership Issues, Personnel Issues | Permalink

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Comments

I know who the new pastor is, he has preached their many times in the past a great guy, I figured he would go there,Its not that top seceret.

Have a great day

Posted by: bws | Jul 6, 2005 11:19:48 PM

So you're saying my picks were wrong bws? Shoot.

I can't imagine that a secret this big could be kept a secret.

Want to share the initials of the person? Maybe the second letter of their last name? (Just kidding)

Todd

Posted by: Todd Rhoades | Jul 6, 2005 11:25:55 PM

It's just a teaser to get more attendance, like the TV news saying to stay tuned til after the commercial for some juicy info...

...Bernie

Posted by: bernie dehler | Jul 7, 2005 1:19:41 AM

He preaches now in a great church in the south east, its a state close to MS and GA

Posted by: bws | Jul 7, 2005 9:29:22 AM

The new Pastor will be Dr. Steve Gaines, presently at First Baptist Gardendale Alabama.

Posted by: d smith | Jul 8, 2005 6:28:28 PM

IF THE NEW PASTOR TURNS OUT TO BE SOMEONE WE DIDN'T EXPECT,THOSE OF US IN ATTENDANCE MAY NEED SPECIAL MEDICAL ATTENTION.

Posted by: boompa | Jul 10, 2005 12:09:55 AM

told you so. It was a unanimous vote for Steve Gaines.

Posted by: d smith | Jul 10, 2005 10:52:45 PM

Well I'm glad that is settled the intruige (sp) was killing me or my desire to know.
I knew it had to be someone who was a media player.

Posted by: Richard | Jul 25, 2005 12:46:03 PM

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