SCOTT DEPOT, W.Va. — Eric W. Ramsey, who has served as executive director-treasurer of the West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists (WVCSB) since February 2020, has accepted the call to pastor First Baptist Church Checotah, Okla. He was officially voted in by the congregation March 9 with a unanimous decision and will transition from his WVCSB role over the next two months. 

“Gaye and I are so proud to call First Baptist Church of Checotah our church family,” Ramsey said. “Goal number one is for Gaye and me to be serving where God has called us to serve.”

Ramsey, who previously served in local church ministry, denominational leadership and international missions, cited a call to pastoral ministry and the desire to be closer to his family as key factors in his transition.

“This decision has been one of the most difficult of my life,” he shared in a letter to WVCSB churches earlier this year. “These past years in West Virginia have been the most rewarding of my ministry. You’ve welcomed Gaye and me into your homes, your churches, onto your family land to fish and hunt, and your lives. A big piece of my heart will always belong to this beautiful state.”

A search committee has been appointed, with one representative from each of WVCSB’s associations, to identify the convention’s next executive director-treasurer. An interim executive will also be named in the coming weeks.

Ramsey was elected to lead the convention on Feb. 1, 2020, following Bill Henard (2015-19). His leadership played a key role in expanding WVCSB’s global missions efforts by establishing an international partnership with The Baptist Theological Seminary of Trujillo, Peru, creating new missions opportunities and increasing engagement for WVCSB churches. He also prioritized the well-being of pastors and their families, fostering greater awareness and care for their needs.

One way he invested in pastors across the state was through “Bibles, Brothers and BBQ,” an initiative where he personally pulled a smoker across West Virginia, making barbecue and stopping in different regions to encourage pastors over a shared meal.

“We are grateful for Eric’s leadership in advancing the gospel in and through West Virginia,” said WVCSB President Ryan Navy. “His heart for missions and the spiritual and mental health of pastors and their families has made a lasting impact. We pray for him and Gaye as they follow God’s call into this new season.”

Working alongside the WVCSB staff, he led the convention through the COVID-19 pandemic, the celebration of WVCSB’s 50th anniversary and the advancement of the “IN+THROUGH” vision — emphasizing greater church cooperation and missions. Disaster relief efforts grew as trained volunteers increased from 20 in 2020 to 200 today, and missional engagement expanded, with more than 82% of WVCSB churches now giving through the Cooperative Program. Next-generation events reached capacity, leading to more professions of faith and a rise in those sensing a call to ministry and missions.

Prior to serving in West Virginia, Ramsey was associate pastor of First Baptist Church of Fort Smith, Ark., CEO of Tom Cox World Ministries (now Partner 135) and served with the North American Mission Board (NAMB).

Ramsey holds degrees from Ouachita Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and has an honorary doctorate from The Baptist Theological Seminary of Trujillo, Peru.

As he transitions, Ramsey affirmed WVCSB’s future and urged churches to pray for the search committee as it seeks God’s will in selecting the next executive director-treasurer.

“I am confident the Lord has a plan for this great state and that the mission of making Jesus known in and through West Virginia will only continue to grow stronger,” he said.

In addition to pastoring First Baptist Church Checotah, Ramsey plans to continue training International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries serving in the Project 3000 initiative, furthering his commitment to global missions.

Ramsey and his wife, Gaye, have been married for 36 years. During their time in West Virginia, Gaye was instrumental in strengthening and growing the West Virginia Pastors’ Wives Network and expanding women’s ministry across the state. They have two adult children, Andrew and Alisha, and four grandchildren, whom they are excited to be closer to with this move.

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Cleve Persinger oversees partnerships and communications for the West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists.)