Louisville—Steve Rice, the Kentucky Baptist Convention’s discipleship and assimilation director since 2006, has announced his resignation to accept the pastorate at First Baptist Church of Shelbyville. He will remain in his current role through the end of this month.

A pastor for 18 years prior to joining the KBC Mission Board staff, Rice has led Williamstown Baptist Church; First Baptist Church of Belfry; and Island Creek Mission, a ministry of First Baptist Church of Pikeville. He is a graduate of Morehead State University; Luther Rice Seminary in Lithonia, Ga.; and Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis, Tenn.

Alan Witham, KBC’s church development team leader, noted Rice’s direction in the areas of discipleship and assimilation. Witham highlighted the spiritual maturity study that Rice spearheaded in conjunction with LifeWay Research. The results were released at last year’s KBC annual meeting.

“He’s led the effort to try and identify areas of need out of that research,” Witham said of Rice.

In addition to his work to strengthen discipleship, Rice also has been instrumental in leading efforts to improve assimilation in Kentucky Baptist churches.

Rice, along with KBC Sunday school department director Darryl Wilson, initiated the first Assimilation Tour in churches across the state last spring. Nearly 400 pastors and church leaders participated in nine training events.

“We will certainly miss his ministry,” Witham noted.

Rice said he feels he has been successful in helping Kentucky Baptist pastors get a better handle on what it takes to build disciples in their congregations.

“One of the things I’ve tried to help churches focus on … is to develop an overall, holistic view of discipleship, and to build a strategy to accomplish that in the church,” he noted. “Discipleship is more than just … classes we offer; it should be infused in everything we do.”

Rice said he intends to take his passion for assimilation and discipleship with him as he returns to the pulpit, and to help First Baptist, Shelbyville, become even more effective at reaching its community.

“It’s been a strong church in the community and in the convention,” he noted.

Rice and his wife, Laura, have three children, Matthew, Lauren and Andrew.