Ed Yount, senior pastor of Woodlawn Baptist Church in Conover, announced this week his nomination of Micheal Pardue for Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSC) president.
“Micheal has always been a great supporter of North Carolina Baptist,” Yount said in a letter to the Biblical Recorder. “Micheal pastors a church committed to missions. First Baptist Icard gives 10% of its undesignated receipts to the Cooperative Program. Along with this missions giving, Icard is a sending church with partnerships in North America, Central America, and South Asia.”
Pardue, senior pastor of First Baptist Church Icard in Connelly Springs and current BSC first vice president, released a video prior to the church’s online service Sun., April 12, highlighting some plans for his presidency if elected at the BSC annual meeting Nov. 9-10 at Koury Convention Center in Greensboro.
“I want to continue to be a steady hand of leadership for the convention,” Pardue said. “I want to make sure that we make biblically-based, wise decisions for our convention, that we don’t react or overreact to anything but rather we try to look out for the best for the convention both in the short term and in the long term.”
In the video, Pardue said he would have liked to talk to his congregation in person, but COVID-19 has forced the congregation’s meetings online.
Pardue expressed a desire to advocate for the BSC staff.
“We have a fantastic staff,” he said. “They are the top in their field. They lead their ministries well.”
Pardue credited small to medium size churches as being the “backbone of the convention, and I want to make sure that they have a voice and make sure that they always have a place at the table when decisions are being made.”
According to BSC records, Pardue’s church gave $21,652.27 to the Cooperative Program in 2019 and $2,750 to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.
Church revitalization and planting will be high priorities, just as they are with the convention, Pardue said. He also wants to continue to grow the diversity within the Board of Directors and on committees.
“While we say we have over 4,000 churches in North Carolina, the reality is we only have 4,000 churches in North Carolina,” Pardue said. “So, we need more. We need more to reach people of different languages. We need more to reach people of different backgrounds. We just need more churches if we’re going to reach everyone in North Carolina, and that’s what God has called us to do.”
Pardue is a Taylorsville, N.C., native. He was raised in East Taylorsville Baptist Church, became a Christian at age 11 and was called to vocational ministry at the age 13.
He has served First Baptist Icard since 2013. He previously served more than five years as the pastor of High Shoal Baptist Church in Mooresboro and several years in ministry with youth and children in Bostic, Shelby, Kings Mountain and Taylorsville.
He received a bachelor of arts degree from Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, N.C., a master of Christian ministry degree from the T. Walter Brashier Graduate School at North Greenville University in Greenville, S.C., and a doctorate of education degree from the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C.
Pardue was elected in 2010 to serve on the BSC Board of Directors and became chair of the communications committee in 2013, which included service on the board’s executive committee.
Pardue served as vice president of the N.C. Pastors’ Conference in 2011 and president in 2015. He was elected as BSC first vice president in 2018 and 2019.
“It is my belief that serving in this position for two years has made him uniquely qualified to lead our convention in the days ahead,” Yount said.
Pardue and his wife, Rachel, have four sons and three daughters.
