JACKSON MINISTER WILL HEAD BAPTISTS

Rodney Travis, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Jackson, Tuesday was elected president of the Missouri Baptist Convention during the group's annual meeting. The event is being held at Cape Girardeau's Show Me Center.

Travis has been pastor of the Jackson church for 10 years, during which time the church has averaged 40 baptisms annually and more than doubled its budget.

Last year, he served as vice president of the MBC, and his election marked the fifth time in the past six years an MBC first vice president has ascended to the presidency.

Travis described himself as a theological conservative and "a person who likes to cooperate and work together."

He said Tuesday that this year's MBC annual meeting has revealed a renewed sense of unity among convention leaders.

"Many Missouri Baptists are tired of the lack of unity and the political maneuvering that has taken place in the Southern Baptist Convention," Travis said.

"I would hope to be able to continue to lead toward a greater working together. I would like to see our convention move to where we're not concerned about which side you're on or which group you're a part of, and work with all Missouri Baptists.

"I'd like to lead our convention to understand that we don't put anyone in control of our convention other than God," he added.

Travis also said he wanted Missouri Baptists to worry less about whether people believe the Bible in the same way and be more concerned about "living up to what the Bible teaches.

"There's been a lot of talk about being more inclusive in our denomination, and sometimes that turns out to be more rhetoric than fact," he said."

The Jackson pastor received 62 percent of the vote in a two-way race for the presidency against Marvin Nobles, director of missions for the Jefferson Association. Travis was nominated by John Gilbert, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Poplar Bluff.

In addition to serving as an MBC officer, Travis was just re-elected to a second term on the convention's executive board and a second term as a trustee of Missouri Baptist College in St. Louis. He was secretary of the Missouri Baptist Pastors' Conference in 1991 and also has served on MBC committees.

A Kentucky native, Travis is a graduate of Georgetown College in Georgetown, Ky. He holds a master of divinity degree from Southern Seminary at Louisville, Ky., and a doctor of ministry degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.

He and his wife, Sue, have two daughters, Shawn Renae and Tiffany Hope.

Travis said one of his "major interests" for the state convention is evangelism. "I'm concerned about reaching people and discipling people," he added.

"The priority in my ministry has been people; not only reaching them for Christ, but helping them to grow and be the best person they're capable of being."

In other business at the convention Tuesday, representatives adopted 14 recommendations submitted by the MBC executive board.

Included in the adopted recommendations was a 1993 Missouri Baptist Cooperative Program budget $15.2 million. More than 58 percent of the program income will be earmarked for Missouri Baptist concerns, while another 36 percent will be sent to fund Southern Baptist Convention programs. About 6 percent will be used for joint denominational causes of the two conventions.