Seminary administrator R. Clark Logan Jr. has been elected as vice president for business and finance with the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee, effective October 15.
Logan, 40, will succeed John R. (Jack) Wilkerson, who will retire October 1 after fourteen years in the post.
Executive Committee members gave unanimous approval to Logan during the opening session of their September 17-18 meeting in Nashville, Tennessee.
Logan, a native of Bruce, Mississippi, has been senior vice president for institutional administration at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, since August 2004. He joined the seminary staff in 2000 as assistant director of admissions and was named director of development in January 2001.
Chapman, in introducing Logan to the Executive Committee, noted that he "was already a successful young businessman when he knew that God was calling him …. So it seems as if the Lord is working it out to use all the gifts He gave him as well as the call to ministry" in moving to the Convention-wide post.
Logan was a computer analyst with State Farm Insurance in Bloomington, Illinois, from 1990-92 and a State Farm agent in Water Valley, Mississippi, from 1992-97 before entering the ministry in 1998 as youth minister at Long Ridge Baptist Church in Owenton, Kentucky. He served as assistant pastor of adult ministries at Cedar Creek Baptist Church in Louisville in 2001-02 and was ordained to the ministry at Highview Baptist Church in Louisville in 2005.
He earned a master of divinity degree in evangelism and church growth from the seminary's Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth in 2001. He also holds master's and bachelor's degrees in business administration from Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi.
Chapman noted that Logan's wife, Helen, has been an elementary school teacher and has taught women's Bible studies at Southern Seminary.
"They love the Lord Jesus," Chapman said of the couple, "and feel a sense of calling in what they have done and what they believe God is leading them to do."
The Logans have three sons, Trey, 12, Tyler, 10, and Wil, 6.
Southern Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. described Logan as "an outstanding leader and a man of great talent and personal integrity." Mohler added that "Clark and Helen Logan are a wonderful couple and with their three young boys they are a great picture of the Christian family."
Speaking to the Executive Committee after his election, Logan said, "We are very excited about coming [to the Executive Committee] … and very humbled at the invitation."
Logan said various Executive Committee members had joked with him earlier in the day "to grow bigger feet … because I have big shoes to fill." In his role at Southern Seminary, he said, he had worked with Wilkerson for several years, noting to Wilkerson, "… if I can do half as well as you, I will be very blessed."
Chapman said Wilkerson "has been a great servant of the Lord …. He's been here over fourteen of the fifteen years that I've been in this position and has become a great friend as well as a wonderful colleague and has added much to our ministry."
To Wilkerson, Chapman reflected, "The Lord knows you've worked hard and deserve to enjoy whatever He has for you in these days to come."
Executive Committee members held a reception for Wilkerson during the afternoon of September 18.
New Executive Vice President
In another personnel action, Executive Committee President Morris H. Chapman announced on September 17 that D. August Boto has been elevated to the position of executive vice president, effective October 1.
Boto has been the Executive Committee's vice president for convention policy and general counsel since 1998. In his new position, he has assumed additional responsibilities in administration and personnel coordination. He is the former administrative counsel for the Texas District and County Attorneys Association.
