Setting the stage for change: LBC Executive Director
Dean Doster closed last weeks state Executive Board meeting by announcing
his plans to retire
Setting the stage for change: LBC Executive Director
Dean Doster closed last weeks state Executive Board meeting by announcing
his plans to retire
Following more than seven years of service, Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive
Director Dean Doster has announced plans to retire, effective January 31, 2005.
“It is after much prayer (that) I believe the Lord has shown me the timing
is right for Louisiana Baptists to select a new director who can build on the
work we have accomplished during these eight years,” Doster told state
Executive Board members at the close of their meeting last week. “It is
time all of us refocus and climb to a new level of growth.”
Doster, 60, had given no earlier indication of his intentions – and his
announcement marks the second major transition Louisiana Baptists will face
within the span of a year. Louisiana College also is experiencing a leadership
change as President Rory Lee leaves his post in mid-May.
A Louisiana College search committee already is at work to nominate a new school
president – and Executive Board members launched their own search process
for a new state executive director at the close of last weeks meeting.
“(My wife) Peggy and I came to Louisiana with a strong sense of Gods
leading,” Doster told Executive Board members last week. “We announce
this change with the same sense of Gods direction and his peace.
“These have not always been easy years, but I want to say to you, they
have truly been good years, because God has kept us together as Louisiana Baptists,”
he continued.
“I believe that is significant and strategic for Gods kingdom and
Gods purpose for Louisiana Baptists to fulfill the Great Commission in
the future.”
The state leader maintained he had sought to serve “all Louisiana Baptists
without bias or partiality” and to lead as God called him to do. He expressed
appreciation for the support of Executive Board members through the years and
for the opportunity to work with convention staff members.
“They are the finest in Christian commitment, love for Christ and loyalty
to their calling of any group I have known,” he said of staff members.
“It has been a genuine pleasure, staff, to serve with you.”
Doster acknowledged any change in direction is made with mixed emotions –
“but it is with complete peace that I have made this decision,” he
insisted.
“Please know that I will pray for you, …” Doster pledged. “Thank
you for the support that you have shown us throughout these eight years together.
Our leaving and our memories of Louisiana Baptists are with great affection
for you all.”
Doster emphasized he was not leaving the ministry – only changing directions
at this time.
As announced, he will continue in his post until the end of January 2005. However,
October, November and January will involve some earned study leave.
Even so, Doster said later he will be in the state office throughout the remainder
of his tenure and will be present for the 2004 Louisiana Baptist Convention.
Following Dosters announcement and the close of last weeks meeting,
the Executive Boards administrative subcommittee met briefly to lay the
groundwork for their search. As set forth in board guidelines, the subcommittee
will be responsible for nominating a new executive director.
In addition to subcommittee members, the Executive Board president also may
name persons to serve in the search process. However, it was not known immediately
if Executive Board President Roy Davis will do so or who and how many he may
name to serve as members of the search committee.
The search committee is chaired by James Law, pastor at First Baptist Church
of Gonzales. Pending any appointments by Davis, all current members of the committee
are pastors.
Those members include:
Waylon Bailey, First Baptist Church of Covington
Paul Blange, Memorial Baptist Church in Metairie
Mickey Bounds, Pleasant Hill Baptist in Farmerville
Carl Gulde, First Baptist Church of Crowville
Wayne Kite, Westview Baptist Church in DeRidder
Francis LaRocque, Emmanuel Baptist in Lake Charles
Bruce McGee, Columbia Heights Baptist in Columbia
Leo Miller, Bedico Baptist Church in Ponchatoula
Dwayne Monk, New Hope Baptist Church in Choudrant
Wayne Morrow, Trinity Baptist Church in Natchitoches
Tim Norris, pastor at First Baptist Church of Livingston
Chuck Pourciau, Broadmoor Baptist, Shreveport
Freddie Rodrigue, First Baptist Church of Gray
Tim Simmons, Faith Baptist Church in Baker
Jimmy Yocum, Twin Oaks Baptist Church in Bastrop
Don Denton, Northside Baptist Church, Slidell – serving in ex-officio
capacity as chair of the board operating committee.
Following Dosters announcement, Law addressed Executive Board members.
He thanked Doster for the years of ministry he has shared in Louisiana. “We
pray Gods blessing upon you as you go into a new phase of ministry,”
he said. “May it bear much fruit for his glory.”
Law said the administrative subcommittee will conduct a national search for
a new executive director. “And we pledge that the entire process will be
covered in prayer for Gods wisdom and direction,” he added.
“We pledge that well labor hard, because we know much is at stake.
Were not selling thumbtacks or making wickets; were talking about
the kingdom of God.
“Thirdly, our search will be marked by integrity and truthfulness,”
Law continued.
Dosters announcement came at the close of a meeting in which he earlier
had sounded a plea for cooperation and trust among Louisiana Baptists.
In his report to board members, Doster had reported on positive trends in equipping
Louisiana Baptists for ministry and in giving through the state Cooperative
Program.
He then stressed the importance of cooperation, quoting passages from a recent
paper by Morris Chapman, president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive
Committee.
In doing so, Doster stressed that cooperation is critical to ongoing growth
in the convention.
“Where there is no trust, there is no cooperation,” he quoted Chapman.
“Our convention may be doctrinally pure, but without cooperation, without
trusting each other, our convention shall cease to have the dynamic missions
enterprise that reaches to the far corners of the earth. …
“Our goal must be unwavering trust among ourselves.”
Continuing to quote Chapman, Doster warned of undermining cooperation by decay
(just going through the motions and maintaining the status quo), default (focusing
only on the pragmatic – quantifiable results and what will work) and design
(making everything a matter of partisan politics and maintaining a strict loyalty
to friends, parties and agendas).
“Cooperation is the lifeline, albeit a rope of sand, of this convention,
…” Doster said, continuing to quote Chapman.
“The unraveling of the rope of sand would be a tragedy in a convention
whose churches have networked their way to building enormous missions enterprises
for Gods glory and the salvation of the unsaved.”
When Doster retires early next year, it will mark the close of eight full years
of service to Louisiana Baptists.
He assumed the state office on Feb. 1, 1997, after being elected unanimously
by the convention Executive Board weeks earlier. Prior to that time, he served
as regional coordinator for the then-Southern Baptist Home Mission Board.