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.)