A lifetime of service, an enduring legacy

Recipients have been announced for the Jim and June Richards Endowment for Kingdom Advance. 

The endowment’s purpose is to support individuals or organizations which promote kingdom causes through religious ministry consistent with the doctrinal statements of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. It was established by the Southern Baptists of Texas Foundation in 2021. 

Richards said he and his wife made the decisions for this year’s recipients after much prayer and consideration. This year’s recipients are:

• The National Hispanic Baptist Network, led by former and longtime SBTC staff member Bruno Molina. Richards said he was excited when Molina accepted the role as the NHBN’s executive director, adding, “He is in a strategic position to influence millions for the cause of Christ.”
• The La Chapelle Church Planting Network, a movement that has planted numerous churches in Montreal, Canada—one of the largest unreached places in North America. “June and I have a special place in our hearts for Montreal,” Richards explained, noting that David Pothier, pastor of La Chapelle Church, has labored to bring the gospel to that area “with integrity and sacrifice.”
• The June Richards Scholarship Endowment at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, which will be disbursed to support other women to faithfully fulfill the roles to which God has called them as Mrs. Richards has done in her own life. “June—my wife and ministry partner for 52 years—is a Proverbs 31 woman,” Richards said. “She served with me when I was a pastor, church planter, director of missions, and at the SBTC. Her prayers have impacted untold numbers of lives.”

Richards, the convention’s founding executive director from 1998 through 2021, now serves as executive director emeritus. The SBTC grew from 120 churches to more than 2,600 churches during his tenure. Prior to coming to Texas, he pastored for 21 years in Louisiana and then served as an associational executive director in Northwest Arkansas.

June is a faithful pastor’s wife, mother, and grandmother who assisted her husband through decades of ministry. She is widely known among SBTC staff members and church leaders as a constant prayer warrior and encourager. 

“SBTF formed the Richards ministry endowment to acknowledge the continuing legacy of Jim and June Richards and to honor their years of service to the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention,” SBTF Executive Director Bart McDonald said. “I am excited to oversee distributions that will continue Dr. Richards’ legacy.”