leadership

sbtc executive board

The Executive Board of the SBTC is composed of forty-four members along with the Convention officers. It acts for the Convention and reports to the messengers each year at Annual Meeting. The board typically meets three times a year. Term of service for board members is four years with the possibility of serving no more than two consecutive terms.

Board and Convention Officers

BOARD OFFICERS

Chairman — Mark Hogan, Castle Hills Church, San Antonio

Vice Chairman — Caleb Turner, Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church, Mesquite

Secretary — Todd Kaunitz, New Beginnings Baptist Church, Longview

CONVENTION OFFICERS

(serve on the Executive Board by virtue of office)

President — Kie Bowman, Hyde Park Baptist Church, Austin

Vice President — Richard Lewis, Unity Baptist Church, Copperas Cove

Secretary — Frances Garcia, Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana, Odessa

Board Members

Stephen Ammons
Meadowbrook Baptist Church, Rockdale

Michael Annas*
Katy’s First Baptist Church

Leslie Bradley*
Southcliff Baptist Church, Fort Worth

Marty Collier
Rush Creek Church, Arlington

Keith Collier
First Baptist Church, Groesbeck

Jay Evers*
Sagemont Church, Houston

Joshua Fields
First Baptist Church, Iowa Park

Jacob Fitzgerald
Denman Avenue Baptist Church, Lufkin

Wayne Frazier
Montalba Baptist Church, Montalba

Cesar Gabriel
Iglesia Bautista Trinidad, Laredo

Steven Gaither
First Baptist Church, McAllen

Leah Green
Second Baptist Church, Houston

John Greene
Harmony Hill Baptist Church, Lufkin

Damon Halliday
Keystone Fellowship Church, Fort Worth

Ed Hancock
First Baptist Church, Forney

Cole Hedgecock
First Baptist Church, Rowlett

Carlos Hinojos
Redbud Baptist Church, Lubbock

Mark Hogan*
Mission City Church, San Antonio

Todd Kaunitz
New Beginnings Baptist Church, Longview

Charles Lee
Acts Fellowship Church, Austin

Averri LeMalle
Champion Forest Baptist Church, Jersey Village

Nathan Lino
Northeast Houston Baptist Church, Humble

Sam Little
First Baptist Church, Stowell

Matthew McCurley
First Baptist Church, Childress

Byron McWilliams
First Baptist Church, Odessa

John Meador
Cross City Church, Euless

John Muzyka*
Prestonwood Baptist Church, Plano

Tommy Oglesby
South Jefferson Baptist Church, Mt. Pleasant

Bob Pearle
Birchman Baptist Church, Fort Worth

Christy Piles*
Emory Baptist Church, Emory

Matt Pitts
Minden Baptist Church, Minden

Russ Ponder
First Baptist Church, Farwell

Rebekah Powers*
Glen Meadows Baptist Church, San Angelo

Steve Ramirez
Immanuel Baptist Church, Fort Stockton

Joe Rivera
Primera Iglesia Bautista, Grand Prairie

Delia Rogers*
Antioch Baptist Church, Lovelady

Norman Rushing
Central Baptist Church, Pampa

Donald Schmidt
Lakeland Baptist Church, Lewisville

Tony Sheffield
First Baptist Church, Maypearl

Eric Shin
New Life Fellowship Church, Houston

Robert Slavens*
Houston’s First Baptist Church

Caleb Turner
Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church, Mesquite

Tracy Turner*
East Paris Baptist Church, Paris

Courtney Wilcox*
Calvary Baptist Church, Rosenberg

* layperson

executive director - Jim Richards

Jim Richards

Executive Director

Jim Richards was saved and answered the call to preach at age seventeen. He pastored for twenty-one years in Louisiana, later serving as Director of Missions in Bentonville, Arkansas. He has traveled and ministered in all 50 states and 19 countries. He has preached at seminary chapel services, pastors' conferences, state conventions and the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention. Dr. Richards has served the SBC on various committees and boards, including being elected First Vice President of the Southern Baptist Convention in 2007.

Dr. Richards’ education includes two undergraduate degrees, a Master of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis. He is a Distinguished Alumnus of both seminaries. The Criswell College in Dallas awarded Dr. Richards the Doctor of Divinity in 2013.

He has authored several books, including Hard Hat Area: Building Biblical Families, Encouraging Words for Difficult Days, Revelation: The Best is Yet to Come and Embracing the Ends of the Earth, and he is a contributing author in The Mission of Today’s Church and Messages for the Journey. He writes a regular column in the TEXAN newspaper and has contributed to numerous blogs, periodicals and newspapers.

When the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention was formed in November of 1998, Dr. Richards became the first Executive Director. The SBTC has experienced phenomenal growth both numerically and financially. The Convention has become an important partner for churches in Texas and with the Southern Baptist Convention.

Dr. Richards and his wife, June, have three children and five grandchildren.

executive director elect - Nathan Lorick

Nathan Lorick

Executive Director Elect

Dr. Nathan Lorick is currently the Executive Director Elect for the Southern Baptists of Texas Conventon. His desire is to see a movement of God in this generation through intentional evangelism, missions, discipleship and church planting. He has served the Southern Baptist Convention on the nominating committee as well as a trustee for the International Mission Board. He is a graduate of East Texas Baptist University and Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary where he earned both a Masters of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degree. He also holds an Honorary Doctor of Divinity from Louisiana Baptist University. He and his wife Jenna live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with their 4 children.

Nathan has been a guest on media outlets such as “Fox and Friends,” “Glen Beck Radio,” “American Family Radio,” “Tony Perkins Live” and many others for taking a stand for religious liberty. His passion to see culture transformed by the power of the gospel sets him apart in his generation. Nathan is the author of Dying to Grow, the initiator of the 1Cross app that shares the gospel in over 60 languages and creator of the “Game Plan” evangelism initiative. When not traveling Nathan enjoys spending time with his family, hunting, reading and running.

Dr. Lorick became the SBTC executive director-elect on April 1 and will serve under Dr. Richards for three months before becoming executive director, according to a succession plan approved by the board last year. Dr. Richards will continue in an advisory role through the remainder of 2021.

president - Kie Bowman

Kie Bowman

SBTC President

Dr. J. Kie Bowman serves as senior pastor at Hyde Park Baptist Church, a multisite church in Austin. During his 22-year pastorate, the church has baptized more than 4,500 people. Dr. Bowman earned both his Doctor of Ministry and Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He received his Bachelor of Arts in religion from the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, KY.

Dr. Bowman has had the privilege to preach the gospel throughout the country at conferences, school chapels and churches. Additionally, he has preached across the globe in countries including England, Ireland, Israel, Paraguay and Switzerland. Dr. Bowman preached the convention sermon at the Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas in 2018.

During his years of ministry, he has written and contributed to many books and devotionals. His works include an Amazon bestseller titled The King and His Community: A Survey of the New Testament. Dr. Bowman has held various leadership positions within the Southern Baptist Convention at the local, state and national levels.

He is married to Tina and has three adult children.

Kie Bowman was elected president by the messengers of the 22nd annual meeting of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention in Odessa on October 29, 2019.

Kie Bowman was elected to a second term as SBTC President in November 2020. Kie has served as senior pastor of Hyde Park Baptist Church for more than 20 years.