February 24, 1999

Laity Institute hopes to name head by May
___By Ken Camp
___Texas Baptist Communications
___DALLAS--The Texas Baptist Laity Institute board of directors has begun the search for the new institute's president.
___The board named its five-member administrative committee as the search committee, with the officers of the board serving as ex-officio members.
___Administrative committee members are John Cash Smith of Orange, chairman; Howard Batson of Amarillo; Rudy Camacho of Fort Worth; Leonard Molone of Plainview; and Debbie Ferrier of Houston. Board officers are Herb Reynolds of Waco, chairman; Amelia Bishop of Austin, vice chair; and Vicki Vaughn of Brown-wood, secretary.
___The committee is seeking resumes through March 29. They should be sent to the institute's BGCT staff liaison, Phil Strickland, at the Christian Life Commis-sion, 333 N. Washington, Dallas, 75246-1798.
___The search committee hopes to bring its recommendations to the board at its May 20, meeting.
___"The person we are seeking must feel the Lord's leading into this work as a calling," Rey-nolds said. "We need someone who can take up the banner of this laity program and carry it high, hopefully for 10, 15 or 20 years, offering the institute time to be brought to maturity."
___The board wants someone possessing "the attribute of vision, coupled with a healthy dose of reality," he added. The president will need some knowledge of curriculum development and should be an effective fund-raiser for the institute.
___The president also must:
___ Have a strong commitment to a theologically educated laity.
___ Be an active Baptist church member, knowledgeable of Baptist General Convention of Texas operations.
___ Possess administrative capabilities, strong relationship skills, a proven leadership record and flexibility to implement and promote a new program.
___ Be able to articulate a personal philosophy of education and have working knowledge of diverse educational groups.
___ Hold at least a master's degree, with some theological education.
___The institute was created in response to recommendations by the BGCT Theological Education Study Committee in 1995 and Effectiveness/Effici-ency Committee in 1997.

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