Dr. Kyle Walker, Senior Pastor of Cartersville First Baptist Church in Cartersville, Georgia has announced his intentions of nominating Jamar Andrews, Senior Pastor of Word Baptist Church in Jonesboro, Arkansas as a candidate for president of the 2022 Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Pastors’ Conference.
This nomination will take place on June 14 as a part of the SEND event in Nashville where elections will be held in conjunction with the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting. The 2022 Pastors’ Conference will be held in Anaheim, California preceding the SBC Annual Meeting.
Regarding the nomination, Walker said, “There is not a man on the planet that I trust more than my friend and fellow pastor, Jamar Andrews. Nominating Jamar as president for our 2022 SBC Pastors’ Conference is the opportunity to uphold the arms of the man of God being called for this role at this hour.” He added, “Convictional, courageous, and compassionate leadership is needed like never before. Forged by these characteristics Jamar is equipped to serve Southern Baptists and the Kingdom of God in a special way.”
Walker and Andrews first connected over a decade ago. He said, “Jamar and I have been through life together as seminary students, co-workers, friends, and now pastors. Jamar is a man after God’s own heart. Jamar is a friend like David and Jonathan. Jamar is a man like Nathanael when Jesus described him as a man in whom there is no deceit. I believe God’s hand is on Jamar for this moment and much more.”
Andrews is the pastor of Word Baptist Church, a young church established in 2017 on the north side of Jonesboro, Arkansas. Since her inception, the church has made great strides in growth and missions involvement. Each year, they have seen approximately ten percent of their membership join by baptism. Additionally, they have strong mission partnerships around the globe that include a local church plant in the Dominican Republic, a partnership with a church plant in New Mexico and intentions of soon sending out another from their church to Japan.
As pastor, Andrews has not only been heavily involved in the local church but is also involved with state and national denominational groups. Andrews has previously preached at the 2017 SBC Pastors’ Conference and led the Convention sermon during the 2019 Arkansas Baptist State Convention Annual Meeting. Andrews also currently serves as the Second Vice President for the ABSC, serves as a trustee on the board for Williams Baptist University in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas and has previously served on the SBC committee for committees.
Dr. J.D. “Sonny” Tucker, Executive Director of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention provided high remarks for Andrews as a friend and fellow Arkansas Baptist. “In a few short years, Jamar has risen to a great place in the hearts of Arkansas Baptists as he pastors an incredible Arkansas Baptist church in a key area of our state. Jamar has been a personal friend for several years and has an incredible love for pastors and their wives. He is very much involved in his community and has a great passion for reaching lost people.”
In speaking about the vision for the 2022 Pastors’ Conference, Andrews desires it to be a source of encouragement and resources for pastors and pastors’ wives. Andrews added, “I would love for this to be a place where brothers can come, hear expositional preaching, be encouraged, be equipped, and have resources that are at their disposal. A place that they can come in and be renewed and be encouraged to go back out to their local churches and places where they are pouring their lives out and be renewed and encouraged to fight the good fight after coming off of a very difficult year.”
Adam Groza, Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services at Gateway Seminary in California believes that Andrews is the right man to lead the 2022 Pastors’ Conference. He said, “Through over a decade of personal friendship, I have witnessed Jamar bringing people together through faithful expository preaching, personal evangelism, and cooperative ministry support with Christ-like humility. In this hour of great division, our churches need a Pastors’ Conference president like Jamar who brings unity in the truth of God’s Word expressed in the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message and who will stand unapologetically for the sufficiency of Scripture and the centrality of Christ.”
The Pastors’ Conference holds a special place in Andrews’ heart for the impact it’s had on him. “When I was getting ready to go into ministry, I had never pastored before being at the convention in New Orleans, and that time was such an encouraging time for me. And so, I would love to see that same process happen in California.”
Walker strongly believes that Andrews, if elected as president of the Pastors’ Conference, will put forth significant effort to create a high-quality conference. He added, “Jamar is uniquely suited at such a time as this for the role of Pastor’s Conference President. He embodies and exemplifies genuine brotherhood, honest authenticity, deep humility, steel-like courage, hot-hearted evangelism, Great Commission going, and biblical obedience fueled by his love for Jesus!”
Andrews is a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and holds a Master of Arts in Islamic Studies. He and his wife, Stephanie, are the parents of one daughter and one son.