Lenamon elected Texas Baptist Men executive director

DALLAS—Texas Baptist Men’s board overwhelmingly elected Mickey Lenamon, 58, as the sixth executive director in the missions organization’s 49-year history.

He has served as interim executive director since Don Gibson retired Dec. 31.

‘Wealth of experience’

Lenamon—whose family has been involved in TBM leadership since its earliest days—joined the organization’s staff as director of resource development in 2006 and was named associate executive director in 2008.

Mickey Lenamon, newly elected executive director of Texas Baptist Men, plans to emphasize volunteerism and working in partnership with churches. (Photo / Ken Camp)“Mickey Lenamon brings a wealth of experience and passion for Texas Baptist Men,” said TBM President Kevin Walker of Fort Worth. “Serving as TBM associate executive director for the past eight years has grounded Mickey in how Texas Baptist Men impacts the kingdom through its various ministries. 

“Mickey’s lifelong connection and involvement in TBM gives him a passion to share God’s love through Texas Baptist Men.  His leadership will help propel TBM forward into the next chapter of ministry and service.”

Work in partnership

In his new position, Lenamon wants to emphasize TBM’s role as a volunteer-run organization that exists in partnership—not in competition—with churches.

“We need to focus on volunteerism, and we want to work at getting Baptist churches involved with us,” Lenamon said.

“Texas Baptist Men’s purpose is not to take people out of churches but to make them better church members. We are not here to take the place of the local church but to help take the church and its ministries outside its walls. Being a good volunteer in missions and being a good church member go hand in hand.”

TBM, a self-governing missions affiliate of the Baptist General Convention of Texas that works with volunteers from churches of varied denominational affiliations, engages in 18 ministry areas, including disaster relief, building, church renewal and water purification and well-drilling.

“Texas Baptists have long enjoyed a special relationship with Texas Baptist Men,” BGCT Executive Director David Hardage said. “As TBM begins a new era with a new director, our BGCT family offers our prayer support.

“Personally, I look forward to talking to and working closely with Mickey as, together, we seek to touch Texas and beyond through obedience to the Great Commandment and Great Commission.”

Lifelong involvement in missions

Lenamon grew up in Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth, where he was involved in Royal Ambassadors, the missions organization for boys. His father, Joe T. Lenamon, was a state RA leader and was TBM president from 1974 to 1977.

“I was attending my first RA Camp at Latham Springs in 1966 with my father when I met Bob Dixon, who later became and remains my mentor,” Lenamon said. Dixon was TBM executive director from 1970 to 1998.

In his teen years, Lenamon worked as a state RA staff member and served in multiple mission projects, including church-starting in St. Cloud, Minn., and lay renewal events throughout Texas and in Hawaii, Alaska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Australia.

After attending Texas A&M University, he worked as a personal financial planner in Fort Worth and Phoenix, Ariz., before serving as director of donor relations for Baptist Senior Life Ministries in Phoenix.

From 1999 to 2006, he was vice president of the Texas Baptist Missions Foundation, where he facilitated capital campaigns for Baptist Student Ministries at Texas A&M and Stephen F. Austin State University.

During his tenure as director of donor relations and associate executive director at TBM, he directed a capital campaign to raise $1.2 million to construct the John LaNoue Disaster Relief Complex, and he developed an annual giving program for TBM that raised more than $28 million in 10 years. He also planned and led 12 international mission trips.

Lenamon and his wife, Sallie, are members of Community Life Church in Forney. They have two adult sons—Ryan and Parker.