In his new position, Compton will be responsible for “leading Kentucky Baptists in developing a renewed commitment to understand and support Great Commission missions and ministries through the Cooperative Program, a passion for biblical stewardship and the development of other resources,” according to the position description.
Severns Valley Church, which celebrated its 225th anniversary last year, is the KBC’s highest cumulative contributor through the Cooperative Program, giving more than $9 million since CP was established in 1925.
Mackey affirms Compton’s skills
KBC Executive Director Bill Mackey told members of the KBC Mission Board’s administrative committee that Compton “has the experience, respect, call of God, knowledge of KBC missions and ministries, and relational and communication skills that are ideal for this unique ministry.”
“We’re grateful for his commitment,” Mackey told board members. “We look forward to what God is going to do through His ministry.”
Prior to the Mission Board’s Dec. 10 vote to elect him to the new position, Compton said, “I am honored and privileged by the invitation of Dr. Bill Mackey to serve in this role.”
Describing himself as “a product of Kentucky Baptists,” Compton added, “I’m humbled to stand before you today to receive a new assignment that I have a passion for and that I have a vision to complete for all of us to realize that together everyone can achieve more.”
By “joining our hands and hearts together” as Kentucky Baptists, Compton said, “we can continue to impact the world in a way that makes eternal differences.”
Mackey noted that the groundwork for the new position began with the KBC Mission Study Committee’s 2003 report which included a recommendation to “significantly increase the level of education and promotion in order to communicate with every new believer and church” about the role of biblical stewardship and the Cooperative Program in reaching people with the gospel of Christ.
Compton chaired a special Cooperative Program study committee which presented a four-point proposal approved by the Mission Board in May 2006. Among the recommendations was to “employ a CP strategist and ministry assistant during the 2007-2008 fiscal year,” with the strategist’s job description to also include responsibilities in stewardship and legacy giving.
The proposal resulted in establishing the position of executive associate for Cooperative Program and resources.
Compton will begin his new role at a time when the percentage of undesignated receipts Kentucky Baptist churches are giving through the Cooperative Program has dropped from more than 10 percent a decade ago to 7.24 percent last year. While 2006-2007 CP gifts set a giving record, the fiscal year total fell slightly below budget.
In addition to serving as pastor of Severns Valley Church, Compton previously was pastor of First Baptist Church of Mount Washington, Living Hope Baptist Church in Bowling Green, Calvary Baptist Church in Glasgow, Pleasant Valley Baptist Church in Horse Cave, Antioch Baptist Church in Center and Hardyville Baptist Church. He is a graduate of Campbellsville University, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Fuller Theological Seminary.
His wife, Sue Ann, is a faculty member at the University of Louisville.
Partnerships, Crossover funding
In other business, Mission Board members:
- Established two new board-designated funds—one to fund projects for the KBC’s three-year missions partnership with Baptists in Maryland/Delaware beginning in January and the other to help plan, promote and conduct Crossover Louisville evangelistic projects in conjunction with the SBC annual meeting in Louisville in June 2009.
- Approved the distribution of more than $800,000 in year-end funds from unspent budget funds and investment income. Major allocations included $136,500 for missions partnerships in Brazil, Tanzania, Maryland/Delaware and New England; $105,000 for new work and church starts; $90,000 for Baptist Campus Ministry replacement, repair and capital improvements; and $80,000 for Kentucky mission study projects.
- Heard a report from Steve Thompson, KBC assistant executive director, about plans to disband the Kentucky Baptist Archives Advisory Board and establish a Kentucky Baptist Historical Society. He said the formal proposal and additional details will be presented at the next Mission Board meeting in May.
Also in conjunction with last week’s board meeting, the board’s administrative committee approved three personnel recommendations:
- Kimberly Moynahan was named part-time campus minister at Berea College effective Jan. 1. Moynahan, a Baptist campus ministry associate director in metro New Orleans, currently is a student at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. A graduate of Morehead State University, she is a former campus ministry intern at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond.
- Bill Houpt, interim campus minister at Hopkinsville Community College since 2005, has been named permanent part-time campus minister. Houpt, a graduate of Mid-Continent University in Mayfield, also is associate pastor for youth, college and evangelism at Hillcrest Baptist Church in Hopkinsville.
- Michael Hendricks, local area network administrator for the KBC Mission Board staff, was promoted to local area network manager effective Jan. 1.
Western Recorder issue date: December 18, 2007
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