We are thrilled to announce the selection of the Rev. Dr. Michael McEntyre as our new Minister of Engaged Aging. This is a significant milestone for our church as Michael will be our first full-time pastor dedicated to ministering to and with median and senior adults. The title of this position acknowledges the rapidly growing demographics of median and senior adults in the US, which will require innovative and creative approaches to meet their needs in the coming decades. With this expanded role, our hope is to provide intentional opportunities for pastoral care, outreach, missions, spiritual formation, and fellowship to these valued members of our faith family.

Michael was considered alongside over 20 other candidates who also applied for the position. The Search Committee, composed of Nancy Brown, Jo Carson, Fred DeFoor, Duke McCall and Rob Pyett, dedicated numerous hours to prayerful consideration of each candidate and conducted multiple interviews. In the end, they unanimously agreed that Michael was the best candidate for the position.

Michael holds a Master of Divinity from George W. Truett Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary. Michael brings more than 20 years of ministry experience to our church. For the last decade, he has served as the Minister of Administration, Youth, and Missions at First Baptist Church in Columbia, MO. In this role, he worked with the Finance, Trustees and Endowment Committees, as well as ministering to students and overseeing the church’s mission ministry. Before that (2005-2012) Michael served as the Minister to Students at First Baptist Knoxville and was ordained in 2004 while serving at the First Baptist Church of Augusta, GA.

As many of you know, Michael is married to our Senior Minister, Carol McEntyre, who recused herself from the search process where Michael was concerned to avoid any conflict of interest. Carol and Michael have previously served together at two different churches, in Knoxville, TN, and Columbia, MO, for a combined 17 years. The Personnel Committee recognized that it had been several years since we had a clergy couple on staff and spent considerable time discerning whether Michael should apply for the position. As part of their discernment process, they contacted previous churches that had employed Carol and Michael together, speaking to staff members and lay leaders about their working relationship with each other and other staff. After careful deliberation, they found no reason Michael should not be allowed to apply.

We are excited for Michael to join the staff at First Baptist. Included below are comments from our Search Committee about their choice. We hope you will help welcome him in the weeks to come. You can send congratulations to his new FBG email address: michael.mcentyre@firstbaptistgreenville.com. We are working on ways for our members to share their stories and a bit about themselves to help Michael hit the ground running so be sure to watch for more information. Michael’s first day in the office will be June 17.

Notes from the Search Committee:
Michael’s energy and enthusiasm are contagious! His commitment to God and to our Church is evident in everything he says. —Jo Carson

The Search Committee for the new Minister of Engaged Aging had an outstanding list of candidates who applied for the position. The Search Committee reviewed the applications to determine the best candidate for this position. We looked at education, age, experience and personality. After six weeks of deliberations and interviews, the Search Committee came to the unanimous conclusion that Rev. Michael McEntyre was the best candidate for this position. He has the enthusiasm, energy and positive attitude we sought. We also believe he will best fit in with our current ministerial staff, giving First Baptist Greenville an outstanding ministerial team. —Duke McCall

Michael quickly rose to the front two or three of 21 candidates with his outstanding resume, vision and ideas. Then, his personal interviews separated him from the rest by the strength of his commitment to God and the Church. We were unanimously convinced we were hiring the right person. —Rob Pyett

I am excited Michael McEntyre will join our church staff as Minister of Engaged Aging! From cover letter to references and throughout multiple interviews, Michael rose to the top of a long list of applicants with creative plans for this ministry, enthusiasm for getting to know us and the community, and multiple experiences with other church staff, which helped prepare him for this work. —Fred DeFoor

Michael…. offers energy, forward-looking ideas, and the ability to work collaboratively with our staff. We were so impressed by his vision for the future of our church and look forward to the contributions he will make. —Nancy Brown

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