Frank Page
Encyclopedia
Frank S. Page was elected president and chief executive officer of the Southern Baptist Convention
(SBC) Executive Committee, effective October 1, 2010.
The Executive Committee is the “fiduciary, the fiscal, and the executive entity” of the SBC in all its affairs “not specifically committed to some other board or entity.”
, North Carolina
, on August 23, 1952. He was invited to attend Southside Baptist Church in Greensboro, North Carolina
, where he professed faith in Jesus Christ at age 9.
A graduate of Ben L. Smith High School in Greensboro, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Gardner-Webb University
in North Carolina
, majoring in Psychology. He was ordained at Immanuel Baptist Church in Greensboro in 1974. He received the Master of Divinity degree and earned his Ph.D. in Christian ethics from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
in Fort Worth, Texas
in 1980 at the age of 28. He is the author of several books, has written articles for various publications and was the lead writer for the Advanced Continuing Witness Training material.
Page’s election to his current position followed 34 years of church and denominational service. He served as pastor of Live Oak Baptist Church, Gatesville
, Texas
(1979-81), LaFayette Baptist Church, Fayetteville
, North Carolina
(1981-87), Gambrell Street Baptist Church, Fort Worth, Texas
(1987-91), Warren Baptist Church, Augusta, Georgia
(1991-2001), and First Baptist Church, Taylors, South Carolina
(2001-09). Under his leadership, First Baptist Church of Taylors experienced a period of rapid growth, reaching average worship attendance of over 2,400.
Page and his wife, the former Dayle Gibson, have three daughters, Melissa (d. November 2009), Laura, and Allison.
(SBC) from 2006 to 2008 and served as vice president of evangelism for the North American Mission Board
of the Southern Baptist Convention, 2009-10. He was a member of the SBC’s Great Commission Resurgence Task Force in 2009-10 and a director of Baptist Global Response from 2008-2010.
In June 2006 Page was nominated by Florida pastor Forrest Pollock to become Southern Baptist Convention
President. Pollack stressed how much Page’s church contributed to the Cooperative Program, which funds SBC projects.
After his election, Page said the convention would not change its views on social issues like same-sex marriage or abortion. He said "I do not want anyone to think I am out to undo a conservative movement."
During his two years as president of the SBC, Page was a frequent guest on national and local television networks and programs, including NBC, CBS, CBN, Fox News, and Larry King Live. In 2007, he was named as one of the Fifty Most Influential Christians in America by the Church Report.
In 2009, he was invited to serve on President Barack Obama’s Council on Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
When he was selected to serve as president of the Executive Committee in 2010, Page pledged to focus his leadership on appealing to Southern Baptists to exercise “Christlike selflessness,” to help “younger generations . . .see the value of cooperative work,” and to be an encourager. He said, “I encourage Southern Baptists to follow the Bible rather than the way of our culture. We are in the day and time of increasing negativity. In fact, there is a negative spirit in most every area of life and it has often afflicted us in church and denominational work. I encourage people to let the Lord bring about a spirit of kindness, of reconciliation, forgiveness, and unity.”
He added, “I also encourage Southern Baptists to realize that we must not only share Christ but we must live out the commands of Christ, or in other words, we need to treat each other the way Christ commands us to treat one another. I'm asking Southern Baptists — from entity presidents to pastors, missionaries, to people in the pew — to make covenants about how we will relate, how we will agree as well as how we will disagree. I believe that we need to be Jesus people!”
In preparation for his first report as Executive Committee president at the 2011 annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, Page asked the executive directors of 42 Baptist state conventions that cooperate with the SBC, the presidents of almost 20 ethnic fellowships that work closely with the SBC; the presidents of each of the eleven SBC ministry entities, the president of the WMU, an auxiliary to the SBC, and the president of the SBC to join him in signing a document called Affirmation of Unity and Cooperation. The document's five core pledges are:
-- "We pledge to maintain a relationship of mutual trust, behaving ourselves trustworthily before one another and trusting one another as brothers and sisters indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God. (Ephesians 4:20-32; 2 Peter 1:3-8)
-- "We pledge to attribute the highest motives to those engaged in local church ministries and those engaged in denominational service in any level of Convention life -- motives that originate within hearts truly desiring to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, whom we also serve. (1 Samuel 2:3; Matthew 7:1-5; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5.
-- "We pledge to affirm the value of cooperative ministry as the most effective and efficient means of reaching a lost world with the message of the Gospel. (Psalm 68:11; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Acts 9:31; 1 Corinthians 16:1-23)
-- "We pledge to embrace our brothers and sisters of every ethnicity, race, and language as equal partners in our collective ministries to engage all people groups with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 16:25-27; Revelation 7:9)
-- "We pledge to continue to honor and affirm proportional giving through the Cooperative Program as the most effective means of mobilizing our churches and extending our outreach as Southern Baptists, enabling us to work together to evangelize the lost people of our world locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, 20:20-21; Romans 10:14-172 Corinthians 8:1-13; 9:1-15)"
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
(SBC) Executive Committee, effective October 1, 2010.
The Executive Committee is the “fiduciary, the fiscal, and the executive entity” of the SBC in all its affairs “not specifically committed to some other board or entity.”
Church Leader
Page was born in RobbinsRobbins, North Carolina
Robbins is a city in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,195 at the 2000 census.Robbins is the hometown of the late Charles E. Brady, NASA astronaut of STS-78 space shuttle mission in 1996...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, on August 23, 1952. He was invited to attend Southside Baptist Church in Greensboro, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, where he professed faith in Jesus Christ at age 9.
A graduate of Ben L. Smith High School in Greensboro, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Gardner-Webb University
Gardner-Webb University
Gardner–Webb University is a private university located west of Charlotte in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, USA. The school has a total of 14 academic departments offering 45 major fields of study. Among the most popular of the school's 39 undergraduate majors are those in business , education ,...
in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, majoring in Psychology. He was ordained at Immanuel Baptist Church in Greensboro in 1974. He received the Master of Divinity degree and earned his Ph.D. in Christian ethics from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is a private, non-profit institution of higher education, associated with the Southern Baptist Convention...
in Fort Worth, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in 1980 at the age of 28. He is the author of several books, has written articles for various publications and was the lead writer for the Advanced Continuing Witness Training material.
Page’s election to his current position followed 34 years of church and denominational service. He served as pastor of Live Oak Baptist Church, Gatesville
Gatesville, Texas
Gatesville is a city in and the county seat of Coryell County in Central Texas, United States of America. The population was 15,591 at the 2000 census...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(1979-81), LaFayette Baptist Church, Fayetteville
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army post located northwest of the city....
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
(1981-87), Gambrell Street Baptist Church, Fort Worth, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(1987-91), Warren Baptist Church, Augusta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
(1991-2001), and First Baptist Church, Taylors, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
(2001-09). Under his leadership, First Baptist Church of Taylors experienced a period of rapid growth, reaching average worship attendance of over 2,400.
Page and his wife, the former Dayle Gibson, have three daughters, Melissa (d. November 2009), Laura, and Allison.
SBC Executive
Page was President of the Southern Baptist ConventionSouthern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
(SBC) from 2006 to 2008 and served as vice president of evangelism for the North American Mission Board
North American Mission Board
The North American Mission Board is the domestic missions agency of the Southern Baptist Convention. It exists to assist Southern Baptists in their task of fulfilling the Great Commission in the United States, Canada, and their territories through a national strategy for sharing Christ, starting...
of the Southern Baptist Convention, 2009-10. He was a member of the SBC’s Great Commission Resurgence Task Force in 2009-10 and a director of Baptist Global Response from 2008-2010.
In June 2006 Page was nominated by Florida pastor Forrest Pollock to become Southern Baptist Convention
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
President. Pollack stressed how much Page’s church contributed to the Cooperative Program, which funds SBC projects.
After his election, Page said the convention would not change its views on social issues like same-sex marriage or abortion. He said "I do not want anyone to think I am out to undo a conservative movement."
During his two years as president of the SBC, Page was a frequent guest on national and local television networks and programs, including NBC, CBS, CBN, Fox News, and Larry King Live. In 2007, he was named as one of the Fifty Most Influential Christians in America by the Church Report.
In 2009, he was invited to serve on President Barack Obama’s Council on Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
When he was selected to serve as president of the Executive Committee in 2010, Page pledged to focus his leadership on appealing to Southern Baptists to exercise “Christlike selflessness,” to help “younger generations . . .see the value of cooperative work,” and to be an encourager. He said, “I encourage Southern Baptists to follow the Bible rather than the way of our culture. We are in the day and time of increasing negativity. In fact, there is a negative spirit in most every area of life and it has often afflicted us in church and denominational work. I encourage people to let the Lord bring about a spirit of kindness, of reconciliation, forgiveness, and unity.”
He added, “I also encourage Southern Baptists to realize that we must not only share Christ but we must live out the commands of Christ, or in other words, we need to treat each other the way Christ commands us to treat one another. I'm asking Southern Baptists — from entity presidents to pastors, missionaries, to people in the pew — to make covenants about how we will relate, how we will agree as well as how we will disagree. I believe that we need to be Jesus people!”
In preparation for his first report as Executive Committee president at the 2011 annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, Page asked the executive directors of 42 Baptist state conventions that cooperate with the SBC, the presidents of almost 20 ethnic fellowships that work closely with the SBC; the presidents of each of the eleven SBC ministry entities, the president of the WMU, an auxiliary to the SBC, and the president of the SBC to join him in signing a document called Affirmation of Unity and Cooperation. The document's five core pledges are:
-- "We pledge to maintain a relationship of mutual trust, behaving ourselves trustworthily before one another and trusting one another as brothers and sisters indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God. (Ephesians 4:20-32; 2 Peter 1:3-8)
-- "We pledge to attribute the highest motives to those engaged in local church ministries and those engaged in denominational service in any level of Convention life -- motives that originate within hearts truly desiring to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, whom we also serve. (1 Samuel 2:3; Matthew 7:1-5; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5.
-- "We pledge to affirm the value of cooperative ministry as the most effective and efficient means of reaching a lost world with the message of the Gospel. (Psalm 68:11; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Acts 9:31; 1 Corinthians 16:1-23)
-- "We pledge to embrace our brothers and sisters of every ethnicity, race, and language as equal partners in our collective ministries to engage all people groups with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 16:25-27; Revelation 7:9)
-- "We pledge to continue to honor and affirm proportional giving through the Cooperative Program as the most effective means of mobilizing our churches and extending our outreach as Southern Baptists, enabling us to work together to evangelize the lost people of our world locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, 20:20-21; Romans 10:14-172 Corinthians 8:1-13; 9:1-15)"