[1]NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–Rob Phillips has been hired as director of corporate communications for LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. He will begin Sept. 9.
Phillips, 47, from Bentonville, Ark., replaces Linda Lawson, who retired in December 2001.
Since April 2000, Phillips has been employed by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., as senior manager of U.S. media relations. Among his duties in this position, he served as a chief spokesperson and primary contact for U.S. news releases and public statements and was responsible for public relations policies and procedures for external communications.
Before going to Wal-Mart, Phillips worked in a similar capacity for Phillips Petroleum Company in Bartlesville, Okla., for nearly 20 years.
Phillips is a 1977 graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in journalism and history.
He was a volunteer associate pastor at Bartlesville (Okla.) Southern Baptist Church for 14 years. He also served on the executive committee of a 1995 Billy Graham Evangelistic Association-affiliated crusade in Bartlesville as a key contact with local churches.
[2]“My road to LifeWay actually began after a funeral one day in June,” Phillips said. “A former workmate I had not seen in two years slipped into my hand a LifeWay ad she had seen in PR Week and said softly, ‘This is you.’ As I discussed the position with my wife and began talking with the people at LifeWay, the Lord graciously confirmed that he was giving me the privilege of serving him here.”
Mike Arrington, vice president of LifeWay’s corporate affairs division, to whom Phillips will report, said he believes Philips is “the man God has placed in this position.”
“I wanted someone with outstanding professional experience and accomplishments in the communications and public relations field as well as a strong Southern Baptist background and heritage as part of his life,” Arrington said. “Rob is a perfect fit for both goals, having a well-rounded background in serving with two of the largest corporations in the U.S. and having served as an assistant pastor in an SBC church.”
Phillips said, “I am so thankful to the Lord for providing this opportunity to serve alongside skilled communicators with a passion for reaching the lost and helping believers grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord.”
Phillips and his wife, Nancy, have a teenage son and daughter.
–30–
(BP) photo posted in the BP Photo Library at http://www.bpnews.net. Photo title: ROB PHILLIPS.