Steven Wade, lead pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Youngsville, N.C., and professor of pastoral theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., will be nominated for first vice president of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina during this year’s N.C. Baptist annual meeting.

Aaron Wallace, lead pastor of Hepzibah Baptist Church in Wendell, N.C., told the Biblical Recorder he plans to make the nomination.

“I am truly honored and excited to nominate Steven Wade as first vice president of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina,” Wallace told the Recorder in a written statement. “He personally and corporately showed us what it means to be ‘on mission together.’ As both a small church and large church pastor, he understands shepherding and ministry on many levels. He has been used by the Lord for years as a professor to train up many pastors and leaders that now faithfully serve our churches.

“He has led Faith Baptist Church to be kingdom-minded in their efforts to reach the lost. They are planting churches and working together with struggling churches to see revitalization take place.”

Wade has served as lead pastor of Faith Baptist since June 2017. Before coming to Faith Baptist, he served as lead pastor of Poplar Springs Baptist Church in Zebulon, N.C., for more than 18 years. Wade has served in other ministry positions at churches in South Carolina.

Wade has also served as a faculty member at Southeastern since 2006.

In May, Wade was unanimously elected by the N.C. Baptist board of directors to serve as second vice president after the position became vacant. Late last month, Wade moved into the role of first vice president when former state convention president Jason Miller resigned to accept a position with the state convention and then-first-vice-president Allen Murray moved into the position of president.

Wade is no stranger to state convention leadership, having previously served as member of the board of directors, where he chaired the Christian Life and Public Affairs Committee and also served on the Executive Committee.

Wallace will be nominating Wade for a full term as state convention first vice president.

“I have been blessed to serve two N.C. Baptist churches as pastor over the past 25 years and am more excited now than I have ever been about our cooperation and our direction as a movement of churches on mission together,” Wade told the Recorder in written comments. “When asked by our current board to step into one of the vice president roles this year, I was humbled and a bit hesitant. God has given our state some exceptional leaders and to join in their work was a great honor and privilege.

“As I prayed about this role, I was more and more excited to see all that God is doing in and through N.C. Baptists in our state and around the world! It is truly an honor to serve our churches at such a key moment, and if given the opportunity to continue to serve I would be thrilled. God is doing something special in our state as we live out our calling on mission together!”

According to state convention records, Faith Baptist Church averaged 1,304 in weekly worship attendance in 2023 and reported 36 baptisms. The church contributed $52,000 in Cooperative Program gifts, as well as $25,000 to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions and $130,000 to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions.

Wade earned his bachelor’s degree from Anderson University in South Carolina, and both a master of divinity and Ph.D. from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Wade and his wife, Jenny, have four children.

Wade is the first announced candidate for first vice president of the state convention. This year’s N.C. Baptist annual meeting is scheduled for Nov. 4-5 at the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center in Greensboro.