In just a few weeks, our country will begin the peaceful transition of power when President-elect Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States. Our country’s 301 million citizens will be greatly affected by his leadership.

On a much smaller scale, in just a few weeks, Todd Deaton will assume the responsibilities of editor of the Western Recorder. The 4 million citizens of our commonwealth and the members of our 2,400 Kentucky Baptist churches also will be greatly affected by his leadership of our state Baptist paper.

The Western Recorder board of directors presented Deaton as our nominee to become the editor of our historic paper. The Mission Board of the Kentucky Baptist Convention overwhelmingly elected him as editor last week.

Deaton meets and exceeds all of the Western Recorder editor search committee’s criteria for an editor. He brings more than 20 years of experience in denominational print journalism. He holds an undergraduate degree in English from Furman University in Greenville S.C.; a Master of Divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville; and expects to complete his doctoral dissertation on organizational leadership from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C.

Deaton served as an intern for the then-Southern Baptist Home Mission Board (now North American Mission Board), South Carolina Baptist Courier and Western Recorder. He also has served as associate editor at the Biblical Recorder with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. He has served since 1996 as managing editor for the Baptist Courier in South Carolina.

The editor search committee and the Western Recorder board of directors, along with the KBC Mission Board affirm God’s call upon Deaton’s life to serve in this capacity. The “calling of the pen,” as he refers to his ministry, began at a Royal Ambassador camp in South Carolina, and was later confirmed through life events. Our new editor commented, “I view Christian journalism as the ministry to which God called me, and my deepest desire is to use the writing skills that God has given me in service to my fellow believers.”

As to Deaton’s journalistic style, one does not have to look further than the writings in his column in the Baptist Courier titled, “Along the Way.” When given freedom to write on any topic or direction by his editor, Deaton placed the focus of his column on those people in the pews doing ministry that makes a difference in the Kingdom of God.

In his ministry he has been characterized as a “bridge-builder” and an “encourager.” The theme verse he has selected is Romans 14:19, “Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify one another.”

I am confident that Kentucky Baptists will discover Todd Deaton to be theologically conservative and a traditional Southern Baptist whose life is the result of the very best of our denomination. As editor, Deaton will continue the longstanding editorial freedom past Western Recorder editors have enjoyed, and will exercise his “calling of the pen” with accuracy, balance and fairness. He has indicated that he will lead the newspaper to tell the story of what Kentucky Baptists are doing to fulfill the Great Commission.

Just as we will in a very short time welcome a new commander-in-chief and commit ourselves to pray for him, we also will welcome a new editor and his family to the Kentucky Baptist Convention. Please join me and many others across the state to welcome and pray for our new editor.

Skip Alexander is pastor of Campbellsville Baptist Church and was chairman of the Western Recorder’s editor search committee