[1]ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)–A Georgia director of missions and the associate pastor of one of Southern Baptist’s fastest growing churches are among the five latest additions to the growing leadership team of the North American Mission Board, the new Southern Baptist domestic missions sending agency.
“We are continuing to search for people God has uniquely prepared for this particular agency at this specific time,” said Bob Reccord, NAMB president. “These five men beautifully fit that description as if God himself has prepared them — which he indeed has.”
The new agency has filled more than 330 staff positions and is in the process of filling approximately 30 openings. Reccord said the agency “continues to prayerfully seek people God has prepared for us. We are not in a hurry. We want to be right.”
Bob Franklin is the new director of associational strategy, which is part of the strategic planning and mobilization group. As director of associational strategy, he will coordinate NAMB’s work with local Baptist associations. Prior to joining NAMB, Franklin was director of missions for the Noonday Baptist Association in Marietta, Ga., for 12 years. He has also been director of missions for the Montgomery Baptist Association in Montgomery, Ala., and minister of education in several churches in Alabama. Franklin is a graduate of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary with a master of religious education degree.
The new director of direct evangelism, Chuck Allen, comes to NAMB from First Baptist Church, Snellville, Ga., where he has been on staff since 1987. Allen will coordinate the work of the evangelism events and soul-winning evangelism units. Since 1995, he has served as associate pastor at FBC, having also served as minister of education and minister of children.
Frank McLeod has joined NAMB as software support manager on the information services team. He worked four years for the Home Mission Board and returns after working six-months with BellSouth Corp. McLeod is a graduate of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, with a master of divinity degree in pastoral counseling, and he holds a doctor of ministry degree in biblical studies from Luther Rice Seminary. Before starting a career in computer programming, McLeod was pastor of Gordon Road Baptist Church in Mableton, Ga., and New Georgia Baptist Church in Villa Rica, Ga.
Tom Cheyney will serve NAMB as leadership enlistment associate as part of the church planting group. Cheyney will be involved in enlisting Southern Baptists called to plant churches and raising the level of awareness of the need for new churches. Before coming to Alpharetta, Cheyney was director of missions for the Genesee Baptist Association in Grand Blanc, Mich. He has been a pastor or church planter in Florida, New England and West Virginia. He is the author of several books on planting churches.
Roberto Gama comes to NAMB as Hispanic church planting associate. Since 1996, Gama has been on contract assignment with the Home Mission Board writing and teaching the Church Multiplication System. He has helped start and pastor churches in Tennessee, Texas, Mexico and South America. In his new role, Gama will be part of the new congregation implementation team assisting Southern Baptists in planting Hispanic congregations.
NAMB was created in June by combining the work of the Home Mission Board, Brotherhood Commission and Radio and Television Commission.