Amarillo minister to be nominated for BGCT second vice president at hometown meeting

Posted: 9/14/07

Amarillo minister to be nominated for BGCT
second vice president at hometown meeting

By Ken Camp

Managing Editor

AMARILLO—Citing his effectiveness in mobilizing laity for missions involvement, Bill Brian has announced his intention to nominate Jeff Raines, associate pastor of First Baptist Church in Amarillo, for second vice president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Election of officers will top the business agenda at the BGCT annual meeting in Amarillo, Oct. 29-30.

Brian, an attorney and member of First Baptist in Amarillo, noted Raines has involved more members in hands-on missions during his 10 years on the church staff than at any time in the congregation’s history.

“Jeff is one of the bright new leaders among Texas Baptists whose focus is on missions as expressed in the local church, as well as among churches cooperating in direct partnership with each other and in our BGCT,” Brian said.

Characterizing Raines as “a gifted communicator, known for his scholarship,” Brian said the BGCT would benefit from the energy and willingness to “think about missions in new ways” he would bring to the second vice president’s position.

Raines said he would not have considered himself for the convention officer’s post.

“I agreed to do it because I love the BGCT, and I want to serve any way I can,” he said.

If elected, Raines hopes he can help lead the state convention to “pursue missions and point churches toward missions,” he said.

“I want to see churches embrace the missions task themselves—to recognize we can’t give it to someone else to discharge for us.”

He has served on the board of directors for WorldconneX—the missions network created by the BGCT—since its inception, and he currently chairs the board.

Raines, 36, also hopes to increase the participation of young ministers in the state convention—particularly service on boards, commissions and committees.

“I think I can bring a perspective from my generation, and I would hope to get more of my peers involved with BGCT life through the appointment process,” he said.

Raines graduated summa cum laude both from Baylor University and Truett Theological Seminary, where he was part of the first graduating class.

He is working on a doctor of ministry degree from Princeton Theological Seminary, and his final project is a study of “an international perspective on short-term missions.”

Raines was licensed to the ministry at First Baptist Church in Arlington and ordained by Meadowbrook Baptist Church in Robinson, where he served as pastoral assistant.

He and his wife, Darcie, have a 5-year-old son, Mark.