Jamie Reynolds, the associational mission strategist for the Three Forks Baptist Association since 2014, is stepping into a new role. Next year, he will become the new executive director of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Bivocational and Small Church Leadership Network.
In that role, he will serve and support the SBC’s 22,000 bivocational pastors.
Reynolds announced the move Monday night (Oct. 20) and said he would continue to serve the association through the end of the year.
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The BSCLN was formed nearly 30 years ago and “partners with the North American Mission Board, state conventions and local associations to encourage, resource and strengthen bivocational pastors throughout the Southern Baptist Convention,” Reynolds said.
“I did not seek this position, but the Lord has made it unmistakably clear to Rachael and me — and to the BSCLN board — that this is His calling ‘…for such a time as this.’”
‘Lead, refocus and promote’
Reynolds’ task will be to lead, refocus and promote the BSCLN ministry to serve as a strong voice of encouragement, advocacy and support for bivocational pastors.
“The network is one of the best-kept secrets in the Southern Baptist Convention. We want to make it accessible to bivocational pastors, and the only way we can do that is if they know about it.”
In addition to his associational work, Reynolds served four years on the Kentucky Baptist Mission Board, which included being chairman of the Missions Mobilization Committee. He is a trustee of Clear Creek Baptist Bible College and is on the KBC Committee on Nominations.
Since 2008, he has conducted pastor trainings in eastern Kentucky. Through that ministry he has helped prepare approximately 130 men in expository preaching. “Many have gone on to be pastors or regularly do pulpit supply in our area,” he said.
Reynolds said he will begin his new role by talking with current and past board members to determine what has worked well in the past, what is working well now, and how the network “can hone in on the needs of 47% of Southern Baptist Convention pastors” who serve in a bivocational role.
“We want to focus on the needs of those pastors. The resources of the network will also be available to associational leaders, state convention leaders, small church leaders and lay leadership.”
Reynolds said the work will include increasing the number of online resources for the network.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Chip Hutcheson and originally published by Kentucky Today.
