ALBEMARLE, N.C. — Members of the search committee tasked with recommending the next president of Fruitland Baptist Bible College have begun reviewing applications for the position.
Jonathan Blaylock, pastor of North Albemarle Baptist Church and chairman of the Fruitland presidential search team, told the Biblical Recorder in a phone interview that he was pleased with both the number and quality of applicants.
“We’re happy with what we received and confident that we have a good slate of candidates,” Blaylock said.
The application deadline was June 5, shortly before the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., which several committee members attended.
Blaylock said committee members have been individually reviewing resumes from applicants. The committee also has meetings scheduled throughout the summer while working around vacation schedules and church events like Vacation Bible School.
During those meetings, committee members will review applications and begin the process of narrowing the slate of candidates. After narrowing the field, the committee is expected to conduct a number of interviews with candidates.
The committee’s ultimate task is to recommend a candidate to the N.C. Baptist board of directors for consideration. Fruitland Baptist Bible College is a ministry of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, and the school and its board are accountable to the convention’s board of directors.
Blaylock said the committee wants to be thorough and efficient in its work and is not operating under a specific timeline.
“We want to be prompt and efficient, but we also don’t want to rush the process,” Blaylock said. “We’re not on a specific timeframe, but we want to act as responsibly and as quickly as we can.
“Our chief concern and our chief desire is to seek out the man that God would have to be the next president of Fruitland.”
Blaylock encouraged N.C. Baptists to pray for the committee members and their work. He said committee members have looked to Psalm 127:1 as a reminder that their efforts will be fruitful only if guided by the Lord.
“We’re just praying that God would build this house, and that God would put the right person in there for the future at Fruitland,” Blaylock said.
The school’s next leader will succeed David Horton, who retired March 31 after serving more than 16 years as Fruitland’s president. Longtime N.C. Baptist pastor and ministry leader Marty Jacumin was named interim president in March and will remain in the role until a permanent leader is found.
The seven-member presidential search committee led by Blaylock was appointed by Fruitland’s board of directors in May based upon recommendations made by N.C. Baptists. The search committee includes pastors, ministry leaders and higher education administrators who all have direct ties to Fruitland.
