The Missouri Baptist Convention’s executive board has named Kentucky pastor Wes Fowler the next MBC executive director-treasurer.
Fowler, pastor of First Baptist Church Mayfield, Kentucky, succeeds John Yeats, who has served as executive director for 12 years. The executive director search committee unanimously recommended Fowler to the full executive board, meeting in executive session Monday evening (Aug. 28).
The executive board, in response, unanimously voted to receive Fowler, who is working alongside Yeats through the rest of the year. The board plans to introduce Fowler to messengers gathered for the MBC’s annual meeting in Springfield Oct. 23–24.
Fowler’s background
Fowler has served as pastor of First Baptist Church Mayfield since 2011. He grew up in that church, and was saved and baptized there at the age of 8. He accepted the church’s call to return as pastor after serving as student pastor at First Baptist Church Valdosta, Georgia, and pastor of First Baptist Church Homerville, Georgia.
Fowler currently serves as chairman of the board of directors for Sunrise Children’s Services, the state’s largest foster/residential childcare provider. He also has served as president of the Kentucky Baptist Convention (2020–21); member of the mission board of the KBC (2017–19); and chairman for the search committee that brought Todd Gray to the KBC as executive director-treasurer in 2019. He also served on the Southern Baptist Convention’s Committee on Committees in 2022.
Fowler earned a bachelor of arts in political science at Valdosta State University (2003); a master of divinity at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (2007); and a doctor of ministry with an emphasis in expository preaching at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (2015). In 2022, Southern Seminary honored Fowler as alumnus of the year.
Fowler and his wife, Tara, married in 2004. They have three children: Brax, Bryley and Pierre.
Mayfield and beyond
On Dec. 10, 2021, a massive tornado ripped through Mayfield, rendering useless the entire campus of First Baptist. Today, church members gather for corporate worship in a borrowed theater; rent facilities for children’s and youth activities; meet in homes for small-group discipleship; regularly celebrate professions of faith, baptisms and new members; and continue to give generously. Average church attendance continues in the 300–350 range.
Fowler’s leadership at the local, state and national levels has helped shape his philosophy of ministry.
“I believe the primary role of convention leadership is that of a servant — serving the local church to fulfill its God-ordained mission,” he said. “The highest calling in SBC life is pastoring a local church. Therefore, the most pressing need for any state convention is to serve the local church by equipping, consulting, supporting, encouraging, motivating and praying for those who answer the highest calling on earth.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by staff and originally published by the Pathway.
