Published Feb 01, 2022
FRESNO—California Southern Baptist Convention Executive Director Bill Agee will begin a transition to retirement on Feb. 1 and conclude by Dec. 31.
The CSBC Executive Board approved a transition plan to find a new executive director for the 82-year-old organization on Jan. 27. Board members also elected an Executive Director Search Committee.
The plan allows Agee to begin moving to Oklahoma and allows Associate Executive Director Pete Ramirez a greater role as chief operating officer of CSBC. This will allow Agee an easier transition to retirement. Agee will still be available to the Board, associate executive director and new executive director if elected before his Dec. 31 retirement date.
Elected to serve on the search committee are ShawnBeaty, pastor of Clovis Hills Community Church in Clovis who also was elected chairperson; Victor Chayasirisobhon, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Anaheim and CSBC President; Bushawn Carpenter, pastor of Total Restoration Church in Barstow; Narri Cooper, layperson from New Seasons Church in Spring Valley; Becky Duron, a member of The Vine Church in Rancho Cucamonga; Kendrick Neal, lead pastor of Calvary Church in West Hills; and Charles Woods, pastor of Feather River Baptist Church in Olivehurst.
Daniel Cassels, pastor of Life Way Fellowship of Santa Maria and chairman of the CSBC Executive Board, also serves as an ex officio member of the committee.
Read more about the executive director transition.
California Mission Offering
The Board approved a 2022 California Mission Offering goal of $400,000. Gifts received in 2021 totaled $623,359, the highest amount ever received for the offering. Churches gave $406,945 in 2021, exceeding the $400,000 goal by $6,945, or 1.02 percent. The other $216,414 was received through an estate plan and earmarked for offering.
The Finance and Budget Committee of the Board, which presented the CMO goal, also reported that CSBC also ended 2021 with a surplus of $606,747.
Vacancy replacements approved
Vacancy replacements for the Executive Board and The Baptist Foundation of California were approved by Board members. Elected for service on the Executive Board were Kurt Abel, a layperson from The Church at Green Hills in La Habra, and Narri Cooper, a layperson from New Seasons Church in Spring Valley. Abel replaces Greg Davidson, pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Vacaville. Cooper replaces Jeff Lettow, pastor of First Baptist Church of Lemon Grove.
Elected to serve as a Foundation director is J. Robert “Bob” Douglas, senior pastor of Creekside Bible Church in Cupertino. He replaces Michael Proud who resigned after election as executive director of the Colorado Baptist General Convention.
The CSBC Constitution allows the Executive Board to fill “interim vacancies on all boards,” but only until the next annual session of the Convention.
New churches/other business
Approved for CSBC membership were three churches – Iglesia North Coast in Vista, Open Gates Church in Pleasanton, and All Peoples Mission Church of San Jose in Saratoga.
Named as corporate officers and authorized to transact business for 2022 were Agee, executive director as chief executive officer; Ramirez, associate executive director as chief operations officer; and Marc Tempesta, chief financial officer.
In other business, the Board:
- Approved committee assignments for 2022,
- Approved CapinCrouse, LLP as the auditor of the 2021 CSBC financial statements,
- Approved Matthew Hoffman of Baker Manock & Jensen, PC in Fresno as legal counsel for 2022,
- Authorized the Business Service Team leader to designate housing allowance amounts for qualified employees, and
- Approved 2023-2025 meeting dates for the CSBC Executive Board.
The next meeting of the CSBC Executive Board is slated for May 11-13.