William “Jeff” Bloomer, current first vice president of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, will be nominated for president when the BGAV meets Nov. 11-12 in Roanoke.
Bloomer, one of three nominees voted at the fall meeting of Virginia Baptists Committed, is a retired educator and administrator from Culpeper.
Joe Lewis, pastor of Second Baptist Church in Petersburg, is the outgoing BGAV president.
The other two nominees, Tim Madison of Madison Heights and Richard Childress of Franklin, will be nominated for first vice president and second vice president, respectively.
Jeff Bloomer
Virginia Baptists Committed is a statewide advocacy group of Virginia Baptists clergy and laypersons that describes itself as committed to supporting the BGAV. Its nominiation process seeks candidates who support the BGAV and its Kingdom Advance vision, the BGAV custom of alternating qualified clergy and laity as president, the BGAV practice of electing a successfully serving first vice president as president for the succeeding year and such core Baptist values as priesthood of the believer, autonomy of the local church, soul freedom and religious liberty.
Bloomer, a member of Culpeper Baptist Church in Culpeper, has been a professional educator and administrator for more than 40 years in Virginia's public schools and colleges. He has served as a deacon in five churches, deacon chair in three churches and in many other local church leadership positions. He has served as moderator of the Shiloh Baptist Association and as its representative to the Virginia Baptist Mission Board. He has chaired three VBMB committees and served on its executive committee and budget committee.
Tim Madison
Madison, pastor of Madison Heights Baptist Church in Madison Heights, is a graduate of Virginia Tech and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. Madison has been pastor of Madison Heights Baptist Church since 1993. Prior to that, he was pastor of Winn's Creek Baptist Church in Halifax. Madison has actively served in the VBMB as a board member, as chairman of the budget and support services committees, and as member of the executive committee for six years. He has also served on the budget committee and program committee of the BGAV. Locally, he has been the moderator of the Lynchburg Baptist Association.
Richard Childress
Childress, pastor of Franklin Baptist Church in Franklin, is a graduate of Carson Newman College in Jefferson City, Tenn., and holds a master of divinity degree from Southern Seminary and a doctor of ministry degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C. Before assuming the pastorate of Franklin Baptist Church, he was pastor of Covington Baptist Church in Covington and First Baptist Church in Appalachia. He has also served as a moderator for the Natural Bridge Baptist Association and as a trustee of Virginia Intermont College. Currently, he is a trustee of the Virginia Baptist Foundation and is a capital stewardship services consultant for the BGAV.