SBC Announces Top Staff Changes

By Pauline J. Chang

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Executive Committee president Morris H. Chapman announced several top-level staff changes within the board, during the Executive Committee’s meeting in Nashville, Tenn., Sept 22, 2004.

Chapman announced that David E. Hankins will become the executive vice president of the Executive Committee; William A. (Bill) Merrell will become senior executive adviser to the Executive Committee; and D. August (Augie) Boto will carry the added title of general counsel.

Hankins, 54, joined the Executive Committee staff as vice president for convention policy in 1996 and was named vice president for Cooperative Program in 1998. As then-pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Lake Charles, La., Hankins served on the Executive Committee from 1986-94, including two years as chairman. Hankins is an M.Div. and Ph.D. graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.

Merrell, 60, served as the Executive Committee’s vice president for convention relations since 1996. Prior to joining the Executive Committee staff, Merrell had served as director of communications for the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission in 1995; director of missions for Oklahoma’s Comanche-Cotton Baptist Association from 1991-95; pastor of Country Estates Baptist Church in Midwest City, Okla., 1982-91; and, earlier, pastor of Texas churches in Richardson, Duncanville, Palmer, Houston, Waxahachie and Canyon. He is an M.Div. graduate of Southwestern Seminary and a D.Min. graduate of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

Boto, 53, joined the Executive Committee staff in 1998 as vice president for convention policy. Boto holds a law degree from Baylor Law School and is a former county attorney and private attorney in Texas. He also served as a Texas representative on the Executive Committee from 1995-98.

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