Mac Brunson
Encyclopedia
Donald McCall "Mac" Brunson (born 20 September 1957) is an American Baptist minister who is currently the senior pastor of the First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida
, a Southern Baptist Convention
(SBC) megachurch
. He previously served as senior pastor of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas
.
, the youngest of three children.
He helped out in his father's retail furniture store and played football at high school.
He became convinced of the truth of his religion at the age of 12 while at a summer camp run by the church.
Brunson decided to become a minister during his freshman year at North Greenville College, where he completed his associate's degree. He then obtained a B.A. at Furman University
in Greenville, South Carolina
. He went on to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
where he earned his Master of Divinity degree in 1985 and his Doctor of Ministry degree in 1991.
Thereafter, he became pastor of Green Street Baptist Church in High Point, North Carolina
.
In 1999 Brunson was appointed senior pastor of the historic First Baptist Church
in Dallas, Texas
. He was president of the Southern Baptist Convention Pastor's Conference in 2003. He moved to Jacksonville, Florida
in February 2006 to replace retiring pastor Jerry Vines
as senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville.
At that time the Jacksonville church, with 28,000 members and occupying nine blocks of downtown, was almost three times the size of the Dallas church.
and Senator Bill Nelson
in a Memorial Day
ceremony. On Jacksonville's 2007 Day of Faith in September 2007 he called on anyone who wanted to pray for solidarity against crime. The previous year the event had been sponsored by the city, but this time it was purely arranged by the churches.
In April 2009 a police detective who is also a member of Brunson's security detail investigated the website of a blogger critical of Brunson's $300,000 salary and other perks.
Discussing the accusations, Brunson said he was one of the lowest-paid mega-church pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention.
The anonymous blogger's name was revealed to the church, and a trespass warning was issued that banned the longtime member and his wife from First Baptist.
The blogger later filed a lawsuit against First Baptist and Brunson claiming that they committed fraud and misrepresented events, and that the pastor made malicious and false statements.
Brunson is a supporter of the Institute for Creation Research
(ICR). At the 2009 annual Pastors Conference held at First Baptist Church, Jacksonville, the ICR gave away some 6,000 books and magazines promoting creationism
and criticizing belief in evolution
. In May 2010 Brunson called on Southern Baptist pastors to follow the Great Commission
in proclaiming the gospel everywhere they go in order to stem the considerable decline in church membership.
Brunson is the founder of Inlight Ministries, which broadcasts his message around the country.
Inlight also provides podcasts via iTunes
.
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, a 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...
(SBC) megachurch
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
. He previously served as senior pastor of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
.
Career
Brunson was born in 1957 in the small town of Greenwood, South CarolinaGreenwood, South Carolina
Greenwood is a city in and the county seat of Greenwood County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 22,071 at the 2000 census and had slightly increased to 22,710 according to a 2009 estimate.-Geography:...
, the youngest of three children.
He helped out in his father's retail furniture store and played football at high school.
He became convinced of the truth of his religion at the age of 12 while at a summer camp run by the church.
Brunson decided to become a minister during his freshman year at North Greenville College, where he completed his associate's degree. He then obtained a B.A. at Furman University
Furman University
Furman University is a selective, private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. Furman is one of the oldest, and more selective private institutions in South Carolina...
in Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...
. He went on to 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...
where he earned his Master of Divinity degree in 1985 and his Doctor of Ministry degree in 1991.
Thereafter, he became pastor of Green Street Baptist Church in High Point, North Carolina
High Point, North Carolina
High Point is a city located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. As of 2010 the city had a total population of 104,371, according to the US Census Bureau. High Point is currently the eighth-largest municipality in North Carolina....
.
In 1999 Brunson was appointed senior pastor of the historic First Baptist Church
First Baptist Church, Dallas
First Baptist Church is a Southern Baptist megachurch located in Dallas, Texas. It was established in 1872 and as of 2011 has a congregation of about 10,000...
in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. He was president of the Southern Baptist Convention Pastor's Conference in 2003. He moved to Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
in February 2006 to replace retiring pastor Jerry Vines
Jerry Vines
Charles Jerry Vines is an American preacher and former pastor of the then nation's third largest Southern Baptist church, the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida. Like his former co-pastor Homer G...
as senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville.
At that time the Jacksonville church, with 28,000 members and occupying nine blocks of downtown, was almost three times the size of the Dallas church.
Activities
In 2006 Brunson joined Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton, Congressman Ander CrenshawAnder Crenshaw
Ander Crenshaw is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
and Senator Bill Nelson
Bill Nelson
Clarence William "Bill" Nelson is the senior United States Senator from the state of Florida and a member of the Democratic Party. He is a former U.S. Representative and former Treasurer and Insurance Commissioner of Florida...
in a Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
ceremony. On Jacksonville's 2007 Day of Faith in September 2007 he called on anyone who wanted to pray for solidarity against crime. The previous year the event had been sponsored by the city, but this time it was purely arranged by the churches.
In April 2009 a police detective who is also a member of Brunson's security detail investigated the website of a blogger critical of Brunson's $300,000 salary and other perks.
Discussing the accusations, Brunson said he was one of the lowest-paid mega-church pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention.
The anonymous blogger's name was revealed to the church, and a trespass warning was issued that banned the longtime member and his wife from First Baptist.
The blogger later filed a lawsuit against First Baptist and Brunson claiming that they committed fraud and misrepresented events, and that the pastor made malicious and false statements.
Brunson is a supporter of the Institute for Creation Research
Institute for Creation Research
The Institute for Creation Research is a Christian institution in Dallas, Texas that specializes in education, research, and media promotion of Creation Science and Biblical creationism. The ICR adopts the Bible as an inerrant and literal documentary of scientific and historical fact as well as...
(ICR). At the 2009 annual Pastors Conference held at First Baptist Church, Jacksonville, the ICR gave away some 6,000 books and magazines promoting creationism
Creationism
Creationism is the religious beliefthat humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe are the creation of a supernatural being, most often referring to the Abrahamic god. As science developed from the 18th century onwards, various views developed which aimed to reconcile science with the Genesis...
and criticizing belief in evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
. In May 2010 Brunson called on Southern Baptist pastors to follow the Great Commission
Great Commission
The Great Commission, in Christian tradition, is the instruction of the resurrected Jesus Christ to his disciples, that they spread his teachings to all the nations of the world. It has become a tenet in Christian theology emphasizing missionary work, evangelism, and baptism...
in proclaiming the gospel everywhere they go in order to stem the considerable decline in church membership.
Brunson is the founder of Inlight Ministries, which broadcasts his message around the country.
Inlight also provides podcasts via iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
.