IRVING This month’s Empower Conference at the Irving Convention Center will kick off with a Classics luncheon at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 22 featuring Christian comedian Dennis Swanberg.

According to his website, Swanberg, a mainstay of Christian entertainment over the last three decades, served the local church in pastoral ministry for 23 years before starting his “ministry of encouragement” in 1995. He received an undergraduate degree from Baylor University and both an M.Div. and D.Min. from Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth.

Following the lunch at 1 p.m. will be the Classics session, which will feature speakers Ken Hemphill, Jerry Chaddick and Ted Traylor.

Hemphill, who served as the president of Southwestern Seminary from 1994-2003 and national strategist for the SBC’s Empowering Kingdom Growth emphasis from 2003-11, is currently an administrator at North Greenville University. He was a candidate for president of the Southern Baptist Convention in 2018.

Having spent time serving the local church and as an evangelist, Chaddick has pastored churches in Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and Texas. He is currently the president of Spirit Truth Ministries and pastor of Mims Baptist Church in Conroe.

Traylor has been the pastor of Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola since 1990. He served on the Great Commission Resurgence task force and was the first vice-president of the Southern Baptist Convention in 2000, in addition to being nominated for president of the SBC in 2010.

Music for the Classics session will be provided by the Southern gospel group Greater Vision.

The COVID-19 pandemic will undoubtedly have an effect on attendance at this year’s Empower Conference, although it is difficult to know how many people will choose to attend in-person vs. online.

According to a statement released by the SBTC, they are working with the Irving Convention Center to do everything possible to ensure the event is as safe as possible for all attendees.

Kenneth Priest, SBTC senior strategist for cooperative ministries, confirmed that attendees will be asked to wear masks and practice social distancing. The convention center has advised the SBTC that it has implemented safety protocols in compliance with local health authorities, including include reduced occupancy, required mask wearing in all areas except when individuals are eating or drinking, additional hand sanitation stations, signage and floor markers to aid in social distancing, and increased housekeeping in which the building will be sanitized multiple times daily.

Both the Classics luncheon and session are open for all age groups. Tickets for the luncheon are $15 each and can be purchased at sbtexas.com/empower. 

GRAPEVINE—A committee formed to seek the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s next executive director has unanimously agreed on a candidate. Nathan Lorick, currently executive director of the Colorado Baptist General Convention, will be considered during a called board meeting, February 21, in Grapevine. Lorick, 39, has served the Colorado convention since 2017 and was evangelism director for the SBTC, from 2012 to 2017, after pastoring two churches in Texas.

The committee was formed during the November 11, 2020, Executive Board meeting, after the board heard Jim Richards announce that he was stepping down as executive director during 2021. Richards is the founding leader of the convention, beginning his tenure in 1998. The committee went to work immediately. 

The committee chairman credited the members’ commitment to prayer, as well as the prayers of those across the convention, for clear leadership from God and the unity the search committee experienced. 

“I’ve been on several search committees, and often it takes quite a bit of time to narrow to one candidate. However, after weeks of prayer, and the interview process, we were impressed that God laid the same candidate on each of our hearts.,” said SBTC Executive Board (and search team) Chairman Mark Hogan, of San Antonio. “In this instance, we were completely convinced this candidate was uniquely qualified. We are very excited about the possibility of Nathan leading SBTC into the future.”

Lorick found the experience humbling. “Walking through this process has been an extremely humbling experience. The possibility that God could be calling me to follow in the footsteps of Dr. Jim Richards, a man of unparalleled leadership and integrity, is truly an honor.” 

Current Executive Director Jim Richards said of Lorick’s recommendation to succeed him, “Nathan did a phenomenal job for SBTC as our evangelism director for nearly five years. I have been excited to see his success leading Colorado Baptists since then. If the board elects him executive director of the SBTC, it will be my greatest pleasure to walk alongside him for the remainder of this year. I think he’d be a great leader for our convention.” 

Lorick is married to Jenna and they have four children. He earned Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Liberty University, and a Bachelor of Arts from East Texas Baptist University.  

According to a succession plan approved by the Executive Board last year, Lorick, if elected, will serve under Richards as executive director-elect for three months and then become executive director, with Richards continuing in an advisory role through the remainder of 2021.