Welcome to new editor Kelly Boggs!
Welcome to new editor Kelly Boggs!
After eighteen months of searching and considering
options to recommend to the state convention, trustees elected,
unanimously, Kelly Boggs.
Kelly Boggs brings a fresh perspective to the
editorship of the paper. He has been a pastor with a strong interest in
writing and with experience writing opinion pieces for secular
publications and Baptist Press.
One person who has followed his writings said that
he has written about culture and society from a Christian perspective.
And, he has done this in secular papers in an area of our nation that
does not have a “Bible belt mentality” and where such writings are not
common.
Kelly Boggs comes to Louisiana from Oregon. Oregon
is considered a “new work state” for Southern Baptists, or what is
generally known as a “pioneer mission state for Southern Baptists.”
This means that being the pastor of a Southern Baptist church did not
carry a built-in audience. To have such a privilege certainly means
what he did, he did well.
His pastoral experience means he will approach his
editorship with the local church in his heart, and his experience will
mean he understands the most important aspects of Southern Baptist
life, the local church and missions.
Coming from another state far removed from Louisiana
means he will have a fresh perspective that will enable him to speak to
Louisiana Baptist life in ways that can be extremely helpful to
Louisiana Baptists.
There is no question, Louisiana Baptists will give
Kelly Boggs a warm welcome and quickly make him part of Louisiana
Baptist life.
Kelly Boggs is warm and personable. He is
approachable and welcoming of others. He will become friends with
everyone that he meets.
He has four children and a lovely wife, Mindy. She
will be supportive of his new ministry. The Kellys are originally from
Texas and the fact that she gladly followed him in his ministry to a
distant state means she is supportive of his ministry.
Kelly Boggs will be able to shape the Baptist
Message ministry in significant ways. With the departure of Lacy
Thompson as associate editor, Kelly Boggs will have the freedom to work
with the person of his choosing. The remaining staff of the Baptist
Message are extremely efficient and dedicated and will be supportive of
the new editor.
Kelly Boggs faces significant challenges as he
begins his new ministry. The challenges have been spelled out
extensively during the convention’s consideration of the status of the
paper. Still, Louisiana Baptists spoke clearly at the state convention
in West Monroe, saying they want a paper with independent status and
responsible freedom to report all the news without bias or outside
control.
Now that a new editor has been selected by Baptist
Message trustees, the question is, “How strongly will Louisiana
Baptists support the paper?” It is one thing to say we want something,
and an entirely different matter to say, “We will pay the price for
what we want.”
As Kelly Boggs becomes editor, share with him your
ideas of what you think the state paper should be. Get to know him and
his philosophy of a state Baptist paper. Provide him ample
opportunities to get to know grassroots Louisiana Baptists. Help him
get to know this wonderful, culturally rich state. Share with him what
you think are the challenges facing the state convention.
And, give him your strong support as he works to
provide a strong Baptist Message.
Personally, I will be in prayer for Kelly Boggs
every day. I will do my best to provide whatever help he asks of me,
and I will support him in the vital ministry of the Baptist Message. I
know you will join me in this commitment.
Welcome, Kelly Boggs!