ASHEBORO, N.C. (ABP) — Leaders of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina have nominated a candidate with support from both moderates and conservatives to the fractious statewide body's executive post.
The convention's board of directors voted, without opposition, Jan. 24 to recommend Milton Hollifield Jr. as it's new executive director-treasurer. Hollifield is currently executive leader of the convention's missions growth evangelism group.
His nomination must be ratified by convention messengers at a special called meeting of the group that will be held April 11 in Winston-Salem. The state convention is divided over issues of leadership, homosexuality and institutional control.
A search committee chaired by Robert Jackson, pastor of Peninsula Baptist Church in Mooresville, N.C., first recommended Hollifield to the group's executive committee. His nomination was then passed on to the board of directors, who gave Hollifield standing ovations after he made remarks and as he returned to the auditorium following the vote.
The executive director-treasurer position became vacant when Jim Royston resigned unexpectedly last July to return to the pastorate. He held the post for seven-and-a-half years.
Hollifield, 55, has worked for the convention for 12-and-a-half years, coming in 1993 as director of the evangelism division. During a restructuring in 1999, he became executive leader of the newly formed mission growth evangelism group. In that role, Hollifield supervised the church growth and evangelism team, the church planting team, and the campus ministries team.
Hollifield's North Carolina Baptist roots go deep. He is a native of Swannanoa, N.C., and a graduate of nearby Mars Hill (N.C.) College and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Texas.
Hollifield has served previously as an associate pastor of West Asheville Baptist Church in Asheville, N.C., and as pastor of First Baptist Church in Stanley, N.C. Hollifield worked as director of missions for the Gaston Baptist Association near Charlotte for two years prior to joining the state convention staff.
Jackson, chair of the search committee, said members of the committee — including both conservatives and moderates — were unanimous in their support of Hollifield.
“His heart for evangelism and respected place of leadership in our convention along with his team approach to leadership seemed to be the strongest factors in selecting him as our nominee,” Jackson said, adding, “We have worked and prayed and have a clear sense of the Lord's leading as we recommend Milton Hollifield to the executive committee.”
In a written statement accompanying his application to the search committee, Hollifield said he was convinced that God had impressed him to submit his name for consideration.
“Through much time spent in prayer, searching the scriptures and waiting before God, I believe he has chosen me for this tremendous responsibility,” he wrote.
Ultimately, the committee agreed. Lucille Yancey, a committee member from Rowan Baptist Church in Clinton, N.C., said the committee believed Hollifield to be God's choice as a leader who can maintain stability among N.C. Baptists. “Our prayer from the beginning has been to follow God's leadership toward the person who has the greatest potential to keep all North Carolina Baptists together, knowing that even if diversified, we can be unified,” she said.
Committee member Wanda Dellinger, of Green Street Baptist Church in High Point, N.C., echoed the theme of seeking a leader who would promote unity. The search committee is a very diverse group, she said, but came together “with one heart” in supporting Hollifield.
“He has a desire to find common ground among Baptists,” Dellinger said, and “is someone who understands the difficulties facing pastors, associational leaders, and Baptist State Convention employees, because he has worked in each of these capacities.”
Greg Mathis, pastor of Mud Creek Baptist Church in Hendersonville and a member of the committee, said Hollifield “has a proven track record of cooperation, fairness, and inclusiveness. He is a strong proponent of unity. His passion for missions and evangelism will keep us focused on what really drives and motivates our cooperation.”
He added: “Milton fits the profile of the person North Carolina Baptists need at such a time as this.”
“We need someone who will seek to bring us together and not push us apart,” said Jeff Roberts, pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Raleigh. Roberts said he believed the diverse committee was able to reach a unanimous decision “because we chose to seek harmony and unity.”
The committee's unity was not based on uniformity of thought and practice, Roberts said, but “of intentional acts of humility, kindness, respect and Christian love.
“It is my hope that Rev. Hollifield can lead us all to make similar choices,” he said.
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— Robert Marus contributed to this story