LITTLE ROCK – Rex M. Horne Jr. has been named the new president of The Baptist Preparatory School in Little Rock, it was announced Nov. 21 following a meeting of the school’s board of trustees.
Horne, 66, was is the former pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church, Little Rock, and president of Ouachita Baptist University, Arkadelphia, replaces Laura Bednar, 53. He has served as acting president since September.
“Dr. Horne is uniquely qualified as a former college president and pastor to advance our Christ-centered, college preparatory school. He is well-known for his vision and leadership, and we are so grateful he will guide Baptist Prep into the future as our president,” Jonathan Curtis, Baptist Prep board chairman, said.
Horne served as pastor of Immanuel Baptist from 1990-2006, overseeing the relocation of the church from downtown Little Rock to west Little Rock.
At Ouachita, where he worked from 2006-2015, Horne led major campus building projects and his administrative team to increase enrollment. Since laving OBU Horne has worked from 2015-2019 as president of Arkansas’ Independent Colleges and Universities, an organization of private colleges and universities in the state.
“In my previous roles as university president and pastor, I’ve seen the positive impact Baptist Prep has made on generations of students academically and spiritually,” Horne said. “Baptist Prep’s opportunities are limitless, and I’m excited for us to carry out the plans God has for our school in the coming days,” Horne said
Notably, Horne was Bill Clinton’s pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church during Clinton’s first term as Arkansas governor and continuing after his election as U.S. president.
Horne is a graduate of Lyon College, Batesville, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He also has served as president of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention and as chairman of the Great American Conference Council of Presidents.