By Bob Allen
A veteran Baptist pastor who stepped down in April after his wife became a pastor in another town has accepted a new role with a consulting firm devoted to improving the spiritual, emotional and organizational health of churches and ministers.
The Center for Healthy Churches announced Aug. 27 that David Hull, former pastor of First Baptist Church in Huntsville, Ala., will serve as coordinator for the Center for Healthy Churches-Southeast.
In his new role Hull will coordinate the services of area coaches and consultants with churches and clergy in Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
“David Hull represents what a healthy pastor and leader looks like,” said Bill Wilson, who founded the Center for Healthy Churches in January after doing similar work for five years at the Center for Congregational Health at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.
“For many years, he has served as a pastor with high emotional, congregational, biblical and theological intelligence,” Wilson said. “I am thrilled that he will join us as we seek to engender health in clergy and congregations across the nation.”
Wilson, a former pastor active in moderate Baptist leadership, launched the new free-standing center after the Wake Forest program launched in 1992 as a joint venture with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina shifted focus to engaging local churches in community health care.
Earlier this year Wilson announced the formation of the Center for Healthy Churches-Virginia, in partnership with the Baptist General Association of Virginia.
Prior to his 12 years as pastor of First Baptist Church in Huntsville, Hull served churches in Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Kentucky. In 2010 he was named chairman of a blue-ribbon task force to chart a future course for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. After about 100 listening sessions, the task force recommended sweeping organizational changes adopted in 2012 and now being implemented.
Hull said in 35 years as a pastor, he learned how someone with a fresh set of eyes and years from outside the church could help clarify his ministry vision. “I hope to be that person who comes alongside of churches to help them see more clearly God’s vision for their future,” Hull said. “I look forward to joining an outstanding team of people at the Center for Healthy Churches who will be my partners in this next chapter of ministry.”
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