Jacksonville pastor Tim Maynard elected FBSC president

Nov 21, 2012 

By JONI B. HANNIGAN/FBW
Managing Editor

Related Coverage: 2012 Florida Baptist State Convention Annual Meeting

ORLANDO (FBW)—Officers elected at the Nov. 12-13 meeting of the Florida Baptist State Convention annual meeting of 2,922 Southern Baptist churches and missions across Florida are from as far south as Okeechobee, as far north as Jacksonville and in north-central Florida’s Ocala.

Jacksonville pastor Tim Maynard, 58, was elected FBSC president with 640 votes cast, receiving 374 or 59 percent of the votes while Clayton Cloer, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Central Florida received 264 votes or 41 percent of the vote.

The election marked only the second contested election for president of the state convention since 1999.

Maynard, pastor of 3,500-member Fruit Cove Baptist Church, served three years as the president of Florida’s State Board of Missions prior to the election. He was nominated by Marvin Pittman, a laymen from First Baptist Church in Bartow and newly elected president of the SBOM.

ELECTED Tim Maynard, FBSC president. FBC photo

Just hours after the election, Maynard told the Florida Baptist Witness he was already feeling the “weight” of how to bring Florida Baptists together to “refocus on what’s truly important.”

“I really have a heartbeat for seeing genuine unity happen in this convention,” Maynard said. “One of the things that really, really matters to Jesus is unity. If we can’t stand as a unified people, I don’t know that we have much to share with the state. I think it’s going to require a true heart change, genuine repentance in the hearts of the people.”

Maynard said he believes some “housekeeping” is in order for Florida Baptists who have issues to address, but he is prayerful the “momentum that we’ve built in these past few days” will continue.

“That’s hopefully where we will begin the journey and where God leads us in this, we will see,” he said. “When we come together its just a beautiful thing. It’s a great testimony to us and to our Lord and its something that I would like to see continued.”

Elected to serve with Maynard was layperson Jack Roland of First Baptist Church, Ocala, first vice president; Chris Coram, associate pastor of North Jacksonville Baptist Church, second vice president; and Randy Huckabee, pastor of First Baptist Church of Okeechobee, recording secretary. Roland topped Kevin Goza, pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Apopka. The other two officers ran unopposed.

ELECTED Elected to serve the FBSC are (l-r) Tim Maynard, pastor, Fruit Cove Baptist Church, Jacksonville, president; Jack Roland, laymen, First Baptist Church, Ocala, first vice-president; and Chris Coram, associate pastor, North Jacksonville Baptist Church, second vice president. Not pictured is Randy Huckabee, pastor, First Baptist Church, Okeechobee, recording secretary. FBC photo

In nominating Maynard, Pittman had noted his leadership in the state and in his church, and cited Fruit Cove’s commitment to missions and the Cooperative Program, which funds the mission enterprise of the Florida and Southern Baptist conventions. 

The church gives at least 10 percent through the Cooperative Program annually; $80,000 to $100,000 to the Lottie Moon Offering for International Missions; and $45,000 to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for Missions, he said.

“Tim’s leadership style is to cast a vision and to invite others to join him,” Pittman told messengers. “His cooperative and humble spirit [and] his personal commitment to the task encourages those around him to come together to reach the common goal.”

William Rice, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Clearwater, in nominating Cloer, first gave an encouraging word about both pastors. “I am glad today we have not a contest between political opponents but a choice between spiritual brothers,” Rice said. “I know and love both of these men and trust their heart and character, but today my choice is the man I nominate for the office of convention president, Dr. Clayton Cloer, pastor of the FBC of Central Florida.” 

Rice praised Cloer for his leadership, and said the former Florida Baptist Pastors’ Conference president had spearheaded “the fight to amend our state constitution to preserve the sanctity of biblical marriage and he led the revision task force calling our churches to repentance and renewal.”

Information from the 2011 Annual Church Profile for Fruit Cove Baptist Church lists 70 baptisms and primary worship service attendance of 1,404. The church gave $369,053, or 10.71 percent, through the Cooperative Program from total undesignated receipts of $3,446,235. According to the ACP, the church also received $81,258 for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions and $20,804 for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions. Fruit Cove gave $68,620 to the Jacksonville Baptist Association and $13,478 to the Maguire State Missions Offering, with total missions giving in 2011 of $602,374. 

Maynard, pastor of Fruit Cove since 1993 and a native of Kentucky, previously served two churches in Kentucky. He earned the master of divinity and doctor of ministry degrees from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., and a bachelor’s degree from University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Ky. He also has served as an adjunct professor of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. 

Maynard and his wife, Pamela, have been married for 35 years. They are parents to two adult children. 

With reporting by James A. Smith Sr.