- Steve Gaines (pastor)
Dr. John Steven "Steve" Gaines (born
December 31 ,1957 , inCorinth, Mississippi ) is aSouthern Baptist pastor . He is currently serving atBellevue Baptist Church in Cordova (asuburb ofMemphis, Tennessee ), one of the largest congregations in theSouthern Baptist Convention . He took over the pulpit onSeptember 11 ,2005 , from longtime pastor and former SBC PresidentAdrian Rogers .Before arriving at Bellevue Baptist, Gaines pastored for 14 years at the First Baptist Church of
Gardendale, Alabama , an 8,500-member church in suburban Birmingham. There he became one of the leading voices in the conservative wing of the SBC. In 2004, Gaines was elected president of the Southern Baptist Pastors' Conference, and was thekeynote speaker at the SBC annual meeting in Nashville.Gaines'
theology is best described as conservative and evangelical.In 2000, Gaines was diagnosed with the muscle disease
myasthenia gravis , and had atumor ousthymus gland removed throughsurgery . The illness forced Gaines to suspend for a time his ministerial duties and made walking difficult. He has regained his strength throughmedication .Gaines' wife, Donna Dodds Gaines, grew up in Memphis, and her parents were members of Bellevue before Gaines assumed the pulpit. The couple met while attending
Union University inJackson, Tennessee . They have four children: Darrell Grant, Lindsey Carol, Allison Kirby, and Bethany Elise.Dr. Gaines has published two books: "Morning Manna", which has 365 daily devotional readings, and "When God Comes to Church: Experiencing the Fullness of His Presence in Worship".
Controversy
Website
In September 2006, "
The Commercial Appeal ", Memphis' predominant newspaper, reported that recent changes at Bellevue have led to protests by some members. [http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local/article/0,2845,MCA_25340_5006287,00.html Is Bellevue changing?] , James Dowd, "The Commercial Appeal", September 20, 2006.] A website contains allegations by some church members that the church is, under the leadership of Gaines, moving toward becoming part of the "church growth movement", moving toward an elder-led (as opposed to congregation-led) form of governance, mismanaging its finances, paying its leadership too much, intimidating members that want the church's leadership to be more open, and otherwise "moving away from its traditional roots." [ [http://savingbellevue.com Savingbellevue.com] , website critical of the church's leadership] According to Bellevue's leadership, information on the website has appeared and disappeared repeatedly, and quotes and information about church leadership decisions have been taken out of context. [ [http://www.bellevue.org/templates/cusbellevue1103/details.asp?id=1360&PID=388727&Style= Bellevue Leadership Report from September 24, 2006] ] In response to the site's accusations, Gaines said that the church is not leaving its traditional roots, is not a part of the church growth movement, and that the website is creating confusion.Handling of minister misconduct
On
December 18 , 2006, the church announced that Paul Williams, a minister and staffer at the church for thirty-four years, had been placed on leave with an investigation pending regarding a "moral failure," identified by Gaines and others as alleged child molestation in the 1980s. [http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local/article/0,2845,MCA_25340_5225600,00.html 'People losing trust' in Bellevue pastor, seminary leader says] , by James Dowd, "The Commercial Appeal", December 20, 2006. Accessed December 21, 2006.] The next day, December 19, Gaines released a statement that acknowledged that he had been aware of the allegation since June 2006 but that he did not address it for several months because Williams had been attending professional counseling and also because of confidentiality concerns and compassion for the staffer. The same day, Michael Spradlin, who is president ofMid-America Baptist Theological Seminary (located across the street from Bellevue's campus), told the "Commercial Appeal" that " [i] f a minister has first hand knowledge of child molesting and does nothing about it then that minister should resign." Spradlin later noted thatJames Dobson supported his statement, with Dobson reportedly telling him, " [w] hen prominent leaders have no accountability and make these kinds of decisions, other prominent leaders must stand up and hold them accountable." [http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local/article/0,2845,MCA_25340_5233314,00.html Seminary head hears Gaines reaction] , by Yolanda Jones, "The Commercial Appeal", December 23, 2006. Accessed December 23, 2006.] Conservative radio talk-show hostMichael Reagan discussed the situation on his show, noting that he thought that it was comparable to theRoman Catholic sex abuse scandal and that he believed churches should deal with these types of allegations immediately.
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