Thom S. Rainer
Encyclopedia
Thom S. Rainer is an American
author, researcher, speaker, and current president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources
, an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention
in Nashville, Tenn. He is the author of several books, including Simple Church, named a Church & Ministry bestseller by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association
and the 2007 Christianity Today
Book Award winner in the Church/Pastoral Leadership category.
and is a 1977 graduate of the University of Alabama, majoring in corporate finance with minors in statistics
and economics
. He began his career as a cash management officer (1977-80) at Trust Company of Georgia, now SunTrust. By age 25, Rainer became a fifth-generation banker and the youngest vice president for corporate lending of SouthTrust Bank in Anniston, Ala
(1980-83).
Rainer entered Christian vocational ministry in 1982 and earned his Master of Divinity
and Doctor of Philosophy
degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. He served as pastor of churches in Alabama, Florida, Kentucky and Indiana prior to joining the faculty of SBTS in 1994 as founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth. Also while serving at SBTS, Rainer founded and served as president and CEO of the Rainer Group.
In September 2005, Rainer was unanimously elected by the trustees of LifeWay Christian Resources
to succeed James T. Draper as the ninth president of LifeWay, one of the world’s largest Christian resource providers. Shortly after assuming the presidency, Rainer established B&H Academic, a branch of LifeWay’s B&H Publishing Group
, to provide pastors, seminary professors and students with theologically conservative commentaries, academic monographs and other biblically-based resources.
Rainer and his wife, Nellie Jo, live in Franklin, Tenn.
, and are members of Brentwood Baptist Church. They have three sons, Sam, Art and Jess, and four grandchildren (one is already with the Lord).
LifeWay Research is frequently cited in religious and mainstream media, including USA Today
, Christian Post, and Baptist Press
.
In 2008, Rainer received the M. E. Dodd Denominational Service Award from Union University
. The Dodd Award is the highest denominational service award Union gives. It is named for the man who was a Union alumnus, served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention and who was the father of today’s Cooperative Program, the method by which Southern Baptists pool their resources to fund their mission efforts. The award is given annually to a leader within the SBC who displays excellence and leadership in Southern Baptist life, as well as friendship and commitment to Union University. Past recipients include Jimmy Draper (2004), Adrian Rogers
(2005), Morris Chapman
(2006) and Frank Page
(2007).
On November 11, 2010, Rainer received the Donald A. McGavran award for outstanding leadership in church growth from the Great Commission Research Network. According the GCRN president Bob Whitesel, Rainer’s “research and writings have been and continue to be key resources to those who care about church health and growth.”
Inducted into the Carl F. H. Henry Society of Fellows at Union University (2010) & provided Union’s graduation keynote address. Rainer was also appointed to serve as a trustee board member for Union by action of the Tennessee Baptist Convention.
Rainer holds the title of Distinguished Professor of Evangelism and Church Growth (2006) at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and also lectures at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author, researcher, speaker, and current president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources
LifeWay Christian Resources
LifeWay Christian Resources, based in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the largest providers of Christian resources in the world. LifeWay has been recognized as one of the "Best Employers in Tennessee" by BusinessTN magazine.-Background:...
, an entity of the 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...
in Nashville, Tenn. He is the author of several books, including Simple Church, named a Church & Ministry bestseller by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association
Evangelical Christian Publishers Association
The is an international non-profit trade association whose member companies are involved in the publishing and distribution of Christian content worldwide...
and the 2007 Christianity Today
Christianity Today
Christianity Today is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Carol Stream, Illinois. It is the flagship publication of its parent company Christianity Today International, claiming circulation figures of 140,000 and readership of 290,000...
Book Award winner in the Church/Pastoral Leadership category.
Biography
Rainer was born in Union Springs, AlabamaUnion Springs, Alabama
Union Springs is a town in Bullock County, Alabama, United States. The population was 3,670 at the 2000 census.-History:The area that became Union Springs was first settled by white men after the Creek Indian removal of the 1830s. Twenty-seven springs watered the land, giving rise to the name of...
and is a 1977 graduate of the University of Alabama, majoring in corporate finance with minors in statistics
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
and economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. He began his career as a cash management officer (1977-80) at Trust Company of Georgia, now SunTrust. By age 25, Rainer became a fifth-generation banker and the youngest vice president for corporate lending of SouthTrust Bank in Anniston, Ala
Anniston, Alabama
Anniston is a city in Calhoun County in the state of Alabama, United States.As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 24,276. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 23,741...
(1980-83).
Rainer entered Christian vocational ministry in 1982 and earned his Master of Divinity
Master of Divinity
In the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
and Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. He served as pastor of churches in Alabama, Florida, Kentucky and Indiana prior to joining the faculty of SBTS in 1994 as founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth. Also while serving at SBTS, Rainer founded and served as president and CEO of the Rainer Group.
In September 2005, Rainer was unanimously elected by the trustees of LifeWay Christian Resources
LifeWay Christian Resources
LifeWay Christian Resources, based in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the largest providers of Christian resources in the world. LifeWay has been recognized as one of the "Best Employers in Tennessee" by BusinessTN magazine.-Background:...
to succeed James T. Draper as the ninth president of LifeWay, one of the world’s largest Christian resource providers. Shortly after assuming the presidency, Rainer established B&H Academic, a branch of LifeWay’s B&H Publishing Group
B&H Publishing Group
B&H Publishing Group, once known as Broadman & Holman, is a division of Lifeway Christian Resources. Specializing in Christianity pertaining to fiction, homeschool, youth, history, and other interests...
, to provide pastors, seminary professors and students with theologically conservative commentaries, academic monographs and other biblically-based resources.
Rainer and his wife, Nellie Jo, live in Franklin, Tenn.
Franklin, Tennessee
Franklin is a city within and the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 62,487 as of the 2010 census Franklin is located approximately south of downtown Nashville.-History:...
, and are members of Brentwood Baptist Church. They have three sons, Sam, Art and Jess, and four grandchildren (one is already with the Lord).
LifeWay Research
Not long after becoming president of LifeWay, Rainer announced the formation of LifeWay Research for the purpose of assisting and equipping church leaders with insight and advice that will lead to greater levels of church health and effectiveness.LifeWay Research is frequently cited in religious and mainstream media, including USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, Christian Post, and Baptist Press
Baptist Press
Baptist Press is the official news service of the American Southern Baptist Convention based at the headquarters of the Southern Baptist Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.- Origins and bureaus :...
.
Great Commission Resurgence
In the 2005 Spring edition of the Southern Baptist Journal of Theology Rainer published a tribute and a review of the Southern Baptist Convention Conservative Resurgence after 25 years. The article entitled “A Resurgence Not Yet Realized,” noted that, though a theological turnaround had taken place in the Southern Baptist Convention, there was little indication that a resurgence of evangelism had taken place in the churches. In the article Rainer called for a “Great Commission Resurgence,” a phrase that would become the nomenclature for a renewed Great Commission emphasis in the SBC years later.Awards & Recognitions
In the spring of 2004, Rainer was invited to be a member of the Society of Fellows for the R. G. Lee Center for Christian Ministry.In 2008, Rainer received the M. E. Dodd Denominational Service Award from Union University
Union University
Union University is a private, evangelical Christian, liberal arts university located in Jackson, Tennessee, with additional campuses in Germantown, Tennessee, and Hendersonville, Tennessee...
. The Dodd Award is the highest denominational service award Union gives. It is named for the man who was a Union alumnus, served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention and who was the father of today’s Cooperative Program, the method by which Southern Baptists pool their resources to fund their mission efforts. The award is given annually to a leader within the SBC who displays excellence and leadership in Southern Baptist life, as well as friendship and commitment to Union University. Past recipients include Jimmy Draper (2004), Adrian Rogers
Adrian Rogers
Adrian Pierce Rogers served three terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention , a Southern Baptist pastor, and a conservative author....
(2005), Morris Chapman
Morris Chapman
Morris H. Chapman was elected president and chief executive officer of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee on 1 October 1992....
(2006) and Frank Page
Frank Page
Frank S. Page was elected president and chief executive officer of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, effective October 1, 2010....
(2007).
On November 11, 2010, Rainer received the Donald A. McGavran award for outstanding leadership in church growth from the Great Commission Research Network. According the GCRN president Bob Whitesel, Rainer’s “research and writings have been and continue to be key resources to those who care about church health and growth.”
Inducted into the Carl F. H. Henry Society of Fellows at Union University (2010) & provided Union’s graduation keynote address. Rainer was also appointed to serve as a trustee board member for Union by action of the Tennessee Baptist Convention.
Speaking & Teaching
Rainer is in constant demand as a conference speaker, lecturer and teacher. A few examples of his speaking and teaching engagements include:- "Evangelism and Church Growth in the Southern Baptist Convention," Baptist Identity II Conference
- "The Church and Contemporary Culture," University of the Cumberlands.
- Mississippi State Evangelism Conference
- Christian Executive Officers (CEO) Fellowship
- The Commission on Evangelism
Rainer holds the title of Distinguished Professor of Evangelism and Church Growth (2006) at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and also lectures at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is a seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention , created to meet a need in the SBC's East Coast region. It was voted into existence on May 19, 1950 at the SBC annual meeting and began offering classes in the fall of 1951 on the original campus of Wake...
.
Books
- Evangelism in the Twenty-first Century, editor (Shaw; 1989) ISBN 087788238X
- The Book of Church Growth (B&H Publishing Group; 1993) ISBN 0805418725
- Eating the Elephant (B&H Publishing Group; 1994) ISBN 080546140X
- Updated and reprinted with Charles E. Lawless (Pinnacle Publishers; 2003) ISBN 097423060X
- Giant Awakenings (B&H Publishing Group; 1995) ISBN 0805461736
- Experiencing Revival with Michael Silva (Church Growth Institute; 1996) ISBN 1570520585
- Biblical Affirmations for Evangelism, co-editor (Worldwide; 1996) ISBN 0890662843
- Effective Evangelistic Churches (B&H Publishing Group; 1996) ISBN 0805454020
- Encyclopedia of Evangelism and Church Growth, co-editor (Regal; 1997)
- The Bridger Generation (B&H Publishing Group; 1997) ISBN 0805462961
- The Every Church Guide to Growth with C. Peter Wagner and Elmer Towns (B&H Publishing Group; 1998) ISBN 080540192X
- High Expectation Churches (B&H Publishing Group; 1999) ISBN 0805412662
- Surprising Insights from the Unchurched (Zondervan; 2001) ISBN 0310286131
- The Unchurched Next Door (Zondervan; 2003) ISBN 0310248604
- Breakout Churches (Zondervan, 2005) ISBN 0310293472
- The Challenge of the Great Commission, co-editor (Pinnacle Publishers; 2005) ISBN 0974230618
- The Unexpected Journey (Zondervan; 2005) ISBN 0310257417
- Simple Church with Eric Geiger (B&H Publishing Group; 2006) ISBN 0805443908
- Raising Dad with Art Rainer (B&H Publishing Group; 2007) ISBN 0805443916
- Essential Church with Sam Rainer (B&H Publishing Group; 2008) ISBN 0805443924
- Vibrant Church with Daniel L. Akin (B&H Publishing Group; 2009) ISBN 1415865418
- Simple Life with Art Rainer (B&H Publishing Group; 2009) ISBN 0805448861
- Transformational Church with Ed StetzerEd StetzerEd Stetzer is an author, speaker, researcher, pastor, church planter, and Christian missiologist. Stetzer is a contributor to the North American discussion on missional church and church planting.- Background :...
(B&H Publishing Group; 2010) ISBN 1433669307 - The Millennials with Jess Rainer (B&H Publishing Group; 2011) ISBN 1610451120
See Also
- Southern Baptist ConventionSouthern Baptist ConventionThe 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...
- List of Southern Baptist Convention affiliated people
- Lifeway Christian ResourcesLifeWay Christian ResourcesLifeWay Christian Resources, based in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the largest providers of Christian resources in the world. LifeWay has been recognized as one of the "Best Employers in Tennessee" by BusinessTN magazine.-Background:...
Resources
- "What Price Evangelism?"
- "A Resurgence Not Yet Realized: Evangelistic Effectiveness in the Southern Baptist Convention Since 1979" PDF
- "Five Major Trends for Churches in America"
- "Seven Secrets of Healthy Churches"
- "What Millennials Want in Leaders"
- "On Building Bridges" See also Rainer’s preface in "Building Bridges" by David Dockery and Timothy George PDF
- "Three Root Causes of Stalled Spiritual Transformation"
- "Keys to Attracting the Unchurched"
- "First Person by Thom Rainer: “LifeWay Research: Lighting a Path”