ATLANTA (BP)–Mike Minnix, pastor of First Baptist Church, Lilburn, Ga. since 1990, will lead Georgia Baptist evangelism efforts as the result of a restructuring of the Evangelism Ministries unit of the state convention. In that new role he will shoulder enhanced responsibilities to help lead Georgia Baptists in their quest to reach more of the unchurched for Christ.
Minnix made the transition from the pastorate to the denominational post on March 18.
“It’s exciting for me to come to work with Georgia Baptists on this new level,” Minnix said as he outlined his plans for restructuring the evangelism unit. Among those changes, still being formulated, are ways “to integrate evangelism into all the activities of our churches and our convention departments.
“Evangelism must permeate all that we do as Georgia Baptists,” he said.
GBC Executive-Director J. Robert White said the appointment of Minnix signals “a greater focus on evangelism” throughout the state convention. Minnix will report directly to the executive office and will be charged with working with all GBC departments to ensure that evangelism is the focus of each ministry, he added.
The restructured department will be known as the Executive Office for Evangelization.
“Mike will be available to assist all department leaders in the area of casting an evangelistic vision for our convention. We currently baptize about 37,000 persons a year but we are not keeping up with the rapidly growing population of our state. We need a greater focus on evangelism that Mike will bring to our convention,” he said.
White added that Minnix “has outstanding administrative abilities as well as preaching and teaching skills. He will continue and enlarge the SermonCity ministry, which he founded last year with the backing of the convention and which White described as “a tool for effective evangelistic ministry.”
White said Minnix “has done a tremendous job at First Lilburn and will be an inspiration to our convention because of his heart for evangelism.”
Minnix is no stranger to service with the GBC. He has served on numerous committees, including most recently as vice chairman of the Administration Committee of the Executive Committee for 2001. He has also served on the Committee on Committees and the Credentials Committee for the Southern Baptist Convention.
During his 12 years at First Baptist Lilburn, the 2,700-member congregation gave $3.1 million to missions.
He is a graduate of Gardner Webb University, attended Southeastern Seminary, and completed his seminary degree at Trinity Theological Seminary in Indiana. Minnix has served churches in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Prior to moving to Lilburn he served for nearly 9 years as senior pastor of First Church, Cherryville, N.C.
Minnix, 57, has written two books, “The Panorama of the Bible,” and “The Panorama of the Bible, The Pastor’s Supplement,” both published by Evangel Press. He has also authored “My Personal Prayer Book,” which has been used in two pastorates to train and involve members in a personal prayer life.
He served in the U.S. Army and is a Vietnam veteran, having served one tour of duty in 1965-66.
Minnix and his wife, the former Jayne Lloyd of Shelby, N.C., have two children.
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(BP) photo posted in the BP Photo Library at http://www.bpnews.net. Photo title: MINNIX NAMED TO POST.
