Prominent Baptist churches are without leaders

Several prominent Southern Baptist churches are on the hunt for new leadership.

Of the trio made up of Henderson Hills Baptist Church, Quail Springs Baptist and First Southern Baptist of Del City, Henderson Hills appears to be close to naming a new senior pastor.

The Edmond church has been without a senior minister since its longtime leader, the Rev. Dennis Newkirk, retired in early 2017 after 25 years. However, the church’s executive pastor said the church expects to vote on a candidate for the position in June.

Henderson Hills found a possible new pastor after a somewhat lengthy search. By contrast, Quail Springs Baptist only began its search fairly recently.

Leaders with First Southern Baptist of Del City, 6400 S Sooner Road, could not be reached for comment for details about that church’s situation. The death of their beloved senior pastor left the congregation without a senior minister. The Rev. Shane Hall, 46, battled stomach cancer for several years before succumbing to the disease in February.

Search could end soon

At Henderson Hills, executive pastor and church elder Kevin Nicolin said the church’s elder council makes up the pastor search committee team, and the elders recruited 12 church members to help them with certain aspects of their hunt.

He said the search team developed criteria for what the church wanted to see in a new lead pastor, accepted resumes and initially had a slate of six candidates. That slate of men was whittled down to three in May 2017, and in August, the team welcomed a preacher to the church to meet the congregation and preach.

Nicolin said it seemed that the church had found its new leader, but the preacher changed his mind after determining that it wasn’t time to leave the church that he had planted.

“That was disappointing to the church, but we trusted in God and His plan. We took a brief break, and we started again,” Nicolin said.

He said the pastor search team started its second round of accepting resumes and ended with a slate of five people. He said they eventually dissolved that round of the search and began again in January with another group of nine men. Nicolin said the team narrowed the list down from nine to four and then to three, and by April, they agreed to bring the current candidate forward to the congregation.

“We’ve gotten to the point where we think this is God’s man,” Nicolin said.

He said the individual preached at the church, 1200 E Interstate 35 Frontage Road, on the

weekend of May 19-20 and is expected to deliver the sermon again on Wednesday and June 2-3. Nicolin said the church will vote to decide whether to call the minister June 2-3, and a determination will be made June 3.

With the decision looming, Nicolin said it’s important to note that the congregation has stayed positive throughout the process. “Our church has been very supportive. They’ve been positive. They’ve been prayerful,” he said. “We’ve kind of adjusted,

and we’ve grown along the way. It’s not our man but God’s man. That’s what we want.”

Nicholin said Henderson Hills typically draws about 1,900 people for weekend services.

Leadership post results in vacancy

Quail Springs Baptist’s senior minister position has been vacant since the Rev. Hance Dilbeck stepped down from the post to become executive director-treasurer of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma.

The convention’s board elected Dilbeck to the position in December 2017. He joined his predecessor,

the Rev. Anthony Jordan, at the BGCO’s headquarters in January, allowing for a transition period, and officially took on his new role in March.

Dilbeck had been the senior pastor of the Quail Springs church, 14613 N May Ave., since 2003.

Jim Hawkins, chairman of the church’s pastor search committee, said the congregation nominated people to serve on the committee. Seven people were elected to be on the committee, plus two alternates. “It’s a daunting task, but we don’t have a lot of problems in our church. A lot of that is due to Hance Dilbeck and his leadership for 15 years,”

Hawkins said. “So, we’re in really good shape. Everyone is in harmony, and it makes it easier.”

Hawkins said the team has conducted a survey to find out what the church was looking for in a new leader. He said the survey was sent to the congregation, which he said includes about 2,000 people. They also surveyed the staff, as well, and met with senior staff members for direct input. The team hopes to meet in early June to discuss the staff and congregation’s input.

The team has sent information about the church’s search for a new leader to the Southern Baptist Convention and the convention’s seminaries. Hawkins

said the pastor search team will collect resumes through midJune and take several weeks to go through the resumes.

“We hope to come up with a list of 10 men, all bathed in prayer, and we will pick out our first choice and visit with him and his church and have him come to Quail Springs Baptist,” Hawkins aid.

He said the team plans to meet with only one man at a time. Currently, the church’s interim pastor is the Rev. Bobby Kelly, a man who is well liked and respected by church members.

“He’s so good, and he allows us plenty of time,” Hawkins said of Kelly.