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SBCV exec Jeff Ginn accepts La. pastorate
Brandon Pickett, Baptist Press
June 28, 2011
5 MIN READ TIME

SBCV exec Jeff Ginn accepts La. pastorate

SBCV exec Jeff Ginn accepts La. pastorate
Brandon Pickett, Baptist Press
June 28, 2011

GLEN ALLEN, Va. — After three years as executive director of

the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia (SBCV), Jeff Ginn has accepted

the senior pastor position at Istrouma Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, La.

Ginn notified the SBCV executive board last week in anticipation of the vote

from Istrouma. On Sunday, June 26, Ginn preached in both morning services in

view of a call. The congregation responded with a unanimous vote after each

service. Ginn indicated that his last day as executive director will be July

31, with Aug. 1 as his first day as Istrouma’s senior pastor.

“I have always been so proud of the face Jeff put on the SBCV,” said executive

board chairman Wendell Horton, pastor of Skyview Missionary Baptist Church in

Fancy Gap. No interim director has yet been named, but the executive committee

already has met by phone to begin planning for the future. “We will meet in

person this week,” Horton said, “to pray and work towards selecting an interim

executive director and a seven-member search committee. We will do our very

best to choose a committee that represents a broad spectrum of the SBCV.”

Ginn came to Virginia in 2000 to pastor Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in

Colonial Heights. It was through this ministry that he was introduced to the

SBC of Virginia.

“The SBCV’s vision of planting new churches, assisting

existing churches, and helping all churches to be on mission is a compelling

one,” Ginn said. “For that reason, serving the Lord through the SBCV has been

one of my life’s greatest joys and honors. The state staff with whom I have

labored is unexcelled in their passion for, capabilities in, and commitment to

the Great Commission.”

Although he has extensive ministerial experience as a former International

Mission Board missionary and seminary educator, Ginn said he senses God’s

renewed call on his life to be a local church pastor.

“The church is at the heart of all that the SBC of Virginia does. It should

come as no surprise then when one of her staff returns to the local church to

serve there. Istrouma Baptist Church is uniquely situated to have a global

impact. Our family is thrilled and humbled at the prospect of joining in what

God is doing at that dynamic fellowship.”

It is that pastoral touch that Mark Becton, SBC of Virginia president and

pastor of Grove Avenue Baptist Church in Richmond, said made Ginn’s ministry

effective.

“As our executive director, Dr. Ginn epitomized servant leadership,” Becton

said. “His passion for maturing, mobilizing and multiplying churches energized

our passion to do the same. Each time he spoke in board meetings, committee

meetings, in the pulpit, or when sending out a word of encouragement through

Empowered, we heard his heart. I’m grateful for the

time God allowed us to have Dr. Ginn. We will miss him.”

Ginn began as executive director in 2008, following Doyle Chauncey, founding

executive director-treasurer of the SBC of Virginia. Chauncey retired from that

role at the end of 2007 after more than 12 years. The state convention has been

positively impacted by Ginn’s service, Chauncey said.

“His keen wisdom, contagious enthusiasm, gifted leadership and communication

skills helped make us a better team in serving our churches,” Chauncey said. “God

used him to accomplish a number of things that would have been left undone had

he not served as SBCV’s executive director. We will miss the Ginn family, but I

am always excited and rejoice when God is at work in the life of His faithful

servants wherever He leads them.”

During Ginn’s tenure, ministry highlights include the formation and unanimous

adoption of a Vision 20/20 strategy, with the goals of planting of 400 new

churches by 2020 and an increase in Cooperative Program giving to SBC causes of

0.25 percent each year (the SBC of Virginia currently sends 50.5 percent of all

CP dollars to SBC national and international missions and ministries.

Istrouma Baptist Church has a membership of about 3,700 with an average worship

attendance of approximately 1,500. Sunday’s affirmative vote for Ginn concludes

an 11-month search for a new senior pastor.

“Istrouma Baptist Church is praising God for sending Dr. Ginn and his wonderful

family to be our next senior pastor,” said Don Powers, chairman of the Istrouma

Baptist Church pastor search committee.

“The unanimous vote of the nine-member

search team and the unanimous vote of the congregation further provide evidence

of God’s hand in bringing him here. The search team and the congregation have

been praying that God would send us a loving shepherd, preacher, leader,

teacher and a protector against false doctrine. Without a doubt, Dr. Ginn not

only meets what we were praying for, but God has given us someone far beyond

our expectations. Throughout the search process, God’s direction was felt in

many, many ways. We are excited to see how God is going to use Jeff, the Ginn

family and Istrouma Baptist Church to reach the lost in Baton Rouge, La., the

United States and the world.”

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Pickett is director of media services for the Southern

Baptists Conservatives of Virginia convention.)