Louisville—Trennis Henderson, editor of the Western Recorder, has announced his resignation effective March 1 to accept a position as vice president for communications at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Ark.

Henderson, who has been editor of the Western Recorder since 1999, has served more than 25 years in Baptist journalism. He previously was editor of the Arkansas Baptist News and managing editor of the Missouri Word & Way.

“It has been an incredible privilege to serve alongside Kentucky Baptists during these eight-plus years,” Henderson noted. “Ministering with the Western Recorder staff and board on behalf of Kentucky Baptists has been among the major highlights of my ministry career.

“While it is difficult to say goodbye to dear friends and colleagues throughout the state, I also am looking forward to the new ministry opportunity God is providing at Ouachita Baptist University.

“It is always both exciting and challenging to seek and pursue God’s will and timing as we move into a time of major transition,” Henderson added. “I welcome the prayers of Kentucky Baptists as my wife, Pam, and I seek to make a positive impact on the Ouachita campus in the years ahead.”

Linda Polley, outgoing chair of the Western Recorder board of directors, noted that “Trennis has made Kentucky Baptists proud as his commentary and leadership of the Western Recorder reflected scriptural accountability and an overarching commitment to integrity and fairness.”

Polley, director of administration at Severns Valley Baptist Church in Elizabethtown, said Henderson’s “keen understanding of moral, social and ethical issues allows him to provide factual and accurate reporting without concern for personal agenda.

“His wit and sense of humor add the finishing touch,” she added. “On behalf of the Western Recorder board of directors, I express regret as the paper’s loss will be another’s gain.”

Bill Mackey, Kentucky Baptist Convention executive director, described Henderson as “an excellent editor of an outstanding award-winning denominational paper that is recognized nationally.

“Trennis is compelled by a passion for missions, the local church and his family,” Mackey noted. “Trennis has endeared himself to Kentucky Baptists by his balanced reporting of Baptist news and the ministries of Kentucky Baptists, especially missions.

“I have admired Trennis and his family for their active involvement in the ministry of Crestwood Baptist Church where Trennis and his wife, Pam, have taught Sunday school and small group Bible study for high school students,” he added. “Trennis will be missed not only as an editor and friend but for his natural sense of humor. Tense and sometimes slow-moving meetings have come to life with his humor.

“Although we will miss Trennis,” Mackey said, “we commend him to the Ouachita Baptist University family that will benefit from his communication skills, churchmanship, humor and his passion for family, missions and excellence.”

According to Ouachita President Rex Horne, “I am delighted that Trennis Henderson will be joining our administrative team at Ouachita Baptist University.

“Trennis is well known in Arkansas and across the nation as an outstanding Christian journalist,” he added. “He is a gifted writer and a highly respected spokesman on matters of faith, ethics and the Christian life.”

Henderson “understands the value of the educational opportunities offered by Ouachita Baptist University,” Horne emphasized. “As vice president for communications, he will play a pivotal role with the public, prospective students, families, churches and others who are interested in supporting our important mission.

“I have known Trennis for many years,” the Ouachita president noted. “He is a man of integrity, Christian compassion and strong character. I look forward to working alongside him. We welcome Trennis and his wife, Pam, to Ouachita.”

Henderson, a 1983 graduate of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, also is a graduate of the College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Mo.

A former national president of both the Association of State Baptist Papers and Baptist Communicators Association, he has served since 2000 on the Baptist World Alliance communications committee.

Henderson has earned numerous journalism, photography and design awards from Associated Church Press, Baptist Communicators Association and Evangelical Press Association. He is a 2006 recipient of the University of the Cumberlands’ Moral Leadership Award.

Henderson and his wife, Pam, are members of Crestwood Baptist Church in Oldham County, where he is a deacon and she is director of Crestwood’s Weekday Preschool ministry. Their two daughters, Emily and Audrey, are students at Taylor University in Upland, Ind.

In response to Henderson’s resignation, the Western Recorder board of directors elected a search committee last week to seek Henderson’s successor.

Skip Alexander, pastor of Campbellsville Baptist Church, will serve as search committee chairman. Other members include Chip Hutcheson, publisher of the Princeton Times Leader and a member of Southside Baptist Church in Prince-ton; Lanna Kilgore, an attorney and member of Living Hope Baptist Church in Bowling Green; Bill Marshall, retired KBC executive director and co-director of the Marshall Center for Christian Ministry at Georgetown College; and Linda Polley, director of administration at Severns Valley Baptist Church in Elizabethtown.

Newly elected Western Recorder board chairman Floyd Price, a former KBC president and associate pastor of First Baptist Church of London, will serve as an ex officio member of the editor search committee.