LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Tim Beougher — well known in Southern Baptist life as a seminary professor and pastor — will mark his 15th anniversary as pastor of West Broadway Baptist Church in October. But this will be his last pastor anniversary there — he announced his pending retirement to the congregation on Sunday (Aug. 10).

Beougher told the congregation it has been a “joy-filled ministry, but after much prayer and thoughtful consideration,” he said he believes this is the right time to begin retirement.

In those 15 years, he has pastored the church on a part-time basis while being on the faculty of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. In his retirement announcement, he encouraged the church to transition to a full-time senior pastor “in light of the growth the congregation has experienced and the church’s present and future needs.”

He noted that this change in organizational structure “reflects our commitment to deepening congregational engagement and expanding ministry efforts in alignment with our church’s mission and vision.” To ensure continuity, Beougher said he intends to stay as pastor until a new senior pastor is called.

Planning for the pending retirement began over a year ago when Beougher convened a vision team designed to “confidentially explore what a healthy transition could look like for the church.” That team developed proposed staffing changes, a new job description and the financial impact of moving from part-time to full-time. That information was distributed to the congregation Sunday and will be voted on at a special-called congregational meeting Aug. 17.

A proposed pastor search committee will also be voted on and, if approved, will begin work the following day.

“I have been thinking about this (retirement) for a few years,” Beougher, 66, told Kentucky Today, noting his desire for the church to transition to a younger pastor.

He recalled that when he first arrived at West Broadway, the congregation was an older demographic and there was significant deferred maintenance on church facilities. The facilities issues have been addressed because “you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.” The church was $1.2 million in debt, but all that has been paid off.

His solid reputation and role at Southern resulted in more seminary students attending and serving in the church over the years.

“The number of seminary students here has grown,” Beougher said. “We want students who want to come here and find a place of service. We have sent out some great ones who are pastoring churches. We can mentor students here — that is an extension of my role at Southern. I am a better professor when I am a pastor and a better pastor when I am a professor.”

Todd Gray, Kentucky Baptist Convention executive director, voiced his thankfulness “for the ministry and example of Dr. Tim Beougher at West Broadway Baptist Church.

“During his tenure, the church has grown in every healthy way imaginable, including the number of young men who have been mentored for ministry under his leadership,” Gray said.

“He has led the church to reach into their own community with the Gospel and into all the world through the Cooperative Program. Dr. Beougher has not only been a blessing to West Broadway but also to Kentucky Baptists and me personally. May the Lord’s blessings abide on him in his retirement from pastoral ministry and may the Lord lead West Broadway as they begin the search for their next senior pastor.”

Beougher had a church planting background but said he had not been involved in revitalization until he arrived in Louisville.

That changed considerably when he became pastor of Cedar Creek Baptist Church (in Louisville), where he served for six and a half years and “saw God revitalize that church.

“Revitalization is kingdom work — it is slow work, but Jesus is worth it. Jesus loves His church and we ought to love what Jesus loves.”

He has seen revitalization at West Broadway with Sunday worship attendance hovering in the 175-200 range. “The nursery is filled with babies, which is always a positive sign. The church is healthy and growing and ready to move to a full-time pastor. Pastoral transitions can be challenging in Southern Baptist churches, but I am committed to ensuring a smooth handoff.”

His desire is to continue serving on the faculty of Southern Seminary “until at least age 70.” He is associate dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Ministry and the Billy Graham professor of evangelism and church growth. This year marks his 30th year on the Southern faculty, where he has taught classes on preaching, personal evangelism, church revival and spiritual awakening.

He has also authored several books, including the most recent one (2021), “Invitation to Evangelism: Sharing the Gospel with Compassion and Conviction.” He also co-authored “Experiencing God’s Grace” in 2014.

(EDITOR’S NOTE — This article originally appeared in Kentucky Today.)