NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — Trustees of LifeWay Christian Resources are reportedly poised to name a new president. Sources tell Associated Baptist Press that, Thom Rainer, founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., is the candidate to head Southern Baptists' official publishing arm.
According to LifeWay, the candidate's identity will be announced Aug. 5 to employees and reporters at the agency's Nashville headquarters. But ABP has learned from high-placed Southern Baptist denominational sources that Rainer will get the agency's nod.
Attempts to reach Rainer at his office and home for comment were unsuccessful. A LifeWay spokeperson would not confirm the candidate's identity to an ABP reporter.
Rainer's recently published book, “Breakout Churches,” examines the characteristics of growing congregations. He also has done research indicating that baptisms in Southern Baptist churches are declining — even after conservatives took control of the denomination beginning in 1979.
A graduate of the University of Alabama, Rainer earned both the master of divinity and a Ph.D. at Southern Seminary. Prior to joining Southern as founding dean of the Billy Graham School, he served as pastor of churches in Alabama, Florida, Kentucky and Indiana. He has served as a church consultant and church growth conference speaker for several years.
The author of 16 books, Rainer is also president of Rainer Group Church Consulting and president of Church Central, a website he formed with Internet-publisher NetWorld Alliance, that offers training and other resources for church leaders.