EDE, Netherlands — George Bullard, former interim executive director-treasurer of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, and former director of Hollifield Leadership Center has been elected general secretary of the North American Baptist Fellowship (NABF) beginning Aug. 1.
The position has been vacant since January, when Alan Stanford, who had held the position for eight years, announced his resignation. The NABF is one of six global regions affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance (BWA). Each region’s general secretary also serves as a regional secretary within the BWA, representing his or her area as a non-voting member of the general council. The NABF consists of more than 30 conventions and denominational organizations representing about 18 million Baptists in the United States and Canada.
NABF President David Goatley, executive secretary-treasurer of the Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Missionary Convention, affirmed Bullard’s election. “He brings years of experience, insight, and the capacity to help us to function more effectively in the 21st century,” Goatley said.
Bullard, retired from the Baptist State Convention, lives in Columbia, S.C., where he is the strategic coordinator for a church consulting group called The Columbia Partnership.
He said the BWA role “aligns with my passion for the Baptist World Alliance, my passion for the vitality of denominational organizations, and my desire to help Baptist organizations reach their full kingdom potential.”
The general secretary position is considered part-time, but it is broad in scope. Bullard’s primary responsibility within the organization will be “to facilitate communication, collaboration, and networking among the Baptist organizations in North America,” according to the job description. “The goal is to bring everyone to the table to whatever degree possible — not only to talk with one another, but also to cooperate in mutually beneficial ministries whenever possible.”
Bullard recently published Every Congregation Needs a Little Conflict. A new book, Real Denominations Serve Congregations, will be released in 2010.