Ronnie Floyd
Encyclopedia
Ronnie Wayne Floyd is the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Springdale
in Springdale, Arkansas
, USA and of its second campus the The Church At Pinnacle Hills
in Rogers, Arkansas
, both "megachurch
es". On Jan. 16, 2011, a third campus was launched in Fayetteville, Arkansas
, and the three campuses officially changed their names to CrossChurch.
He has appeared on many television and radio programs and has written several books.
.
He obtained a Bachelor of Science
degree from Howard Payne University
in 1978, then attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
where he obtained an Master of Divinity
in 1980 and a Doctor of Ministry
in 1983.
He was a pastor at First Baptist Churches in Cherokee, Texas
(1976-1978), Milford, Texas
(1978-1981), Palacios, Texas
(1981-1984) and Nederland, Texas
(1984-1986).
He has been described as a fundamentalist, a member of the "conservative resurgence" that took control of the Southern Baptist Convention
(SBC) during the 1980s.
In 1989 he was a candidate to become president of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, but was defeated by the more moderate Mike Huckabee
.
Floyd later became chairman of the SBC Executive Committee (1995-1997) and president of the SBC Pastors Conference (1997).
In July 2004 Floyd appeared on nationwide television urging people to "vote God". Although he claimed he was not endorsing any one candidate in the Presidential election campaign then under way, he seemed to be clearly endorsing George W. Bush
over John Kerry
. If so, this would jeopardize his church's tax-exempt status.
In May 2006 Floyd was nominated by the SBC's inerrantist leaders as a candidate to become President of the SBC.
Some conservative Southern Baptists criticized the nomination since the election process did not seem open, and Floyd's churches had only given a small percentage of their undesignated receipts to the SBC Cooperative Program.
In 2007 he joined the 30-member Faith and Family Values Coalition organized by Mike Huckabee.
In May 2010 the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force chaired by Floyd issued a report pressing for a revival of evangelism in the face of declining baptisms and outlining new responsibilities for Southern Baptist mission organizations.
At their annual meeting in June 2010 the members of the Southern Baptist Convention overwhelming endorsed the report.
However the President and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, Morris Chapman
, disagreed with some of the task force findings and issued a list of alternate recommendations to those given by the task force.
First Baptist Church of Springdale
First Baptist Church, located in Springdale, is the largest church in the state of Arkansas. The church is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention. The church is known for having a regional membership. The church reaches people throughout the world via church plants and media...
in Springdale, Arkansas
Springdale, Arkansas
As of the census of 2010, there were 69,797 people, 22,805 households, and 16,640 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 64.7% White, 0.82% Black or African American, 1.8% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 5.7% Pacific Islander, 22% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more...
, USA and of its second campus the The Church At Pinnacle Hills
Church at Pinnacle Hills
The Church at Pinnacle Hills is a campus of the First Baptist Church of Springdale, located in Rogers, Arkansas. It is located twenty minutes north of the Springdale campus. This location was launched in 2001 by approximately 350 members of the Springdale campus under the direction of senior pastor...
in Rogers, Arkansas
Rogers, Arkansas
Rogers is a suburban city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city has a population of 55,964. The city is located in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers Metropolitan Area, in the northwest corner of the state.-History:...
, both "megachurch
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
es". On Jan. 16, 2011, a third campus was launched in Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
, and the three campuses officially changed their names to CrossChurch.
He has appeared on many television and radio programs and has written several books.
Early career
Floyd was born on 11 November 1955 in Gonzales, TexasGonzales, Texas
Gonzales is a city in Gonzales County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,202 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Gonzales County.-Geography:Gonzales is located at...
.
He obtained a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree from Howard Payne University
Howard Payne University
Howard Payne University is a four-year private university located in Brownwood, Texas.Currently the university enrolls 1,400 full-time students. Howard Payne is known for the Douglas MacArthur Academy of Freedom, its Music program and its Christian Studies program...
in 1978, then attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is a private, non-profit institution of higher education, associated with the Southern Baptist Convention...
where he obtained an Master of Divinity
Master of Divinity
In the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
in 1980 and a Doctor of Ministry
Doctor of Ministry
The Doctor of Ministry degree is, according to The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada , a doctoral level degree oriented toward ministerial leadership often in an area of applied theology, such as missions, evangelism, church leadership, pastoral psychology or the...
in 1983.
He was a pastor at First Baptist Churches in Cherokee, Texas
Cherokee, Texas
Cherokee is an unincorporated community in San Saba County in Western Central Texas. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had an estimated population of 175 in 2000.-Geography:Cherokee is located at...
(1976-1978), Milford, Texas
Milford, Texas
Milford is a town located in exteme Northern Central Texas in the southwestern corner of Ellis County, Texas United States. The population was 749 in 2008.-Geography:Milford is located at ....
(1978-1981), Palacios, Texas
Palacios, Texas
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 5,153 people, 1,661 households, and 1,244 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,021.4 people per square mile . There were 1,976 housing units at an average density of 391.7 per square mile...
(1981-1984) and Nederland, Texas
Nederland, Texas
Nederland is a city in Jefferson County, Texas, United States. The population was 17,547 at the 2010 census.The city is adjacent to the Southeast Texas Regional Airport in Port Arthur, which serves the nearby cities of Beaumont and Port Arthur. It is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur...
(1984-1986).
Senior pastor
Floyd became Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Springdale in 1986 and senior pastor of The Church at Pinnacle Hills when that extension to the Springdale church was established in 2001.He has been described as a fundamentalist, a member of the "conservative resurgence" that took control of the Southern Baptist Convention
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
(SBC) during the 1980s.
In 1989 he was a candidate to become president of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, but was defeated by the more moderate Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
.
Floyd later became chairman of the SBC Executive Committee (1995-1997) and president of the SBC Pastors Conference (1997).
In July 2004 Floyd appeared on nationwide television urging people to "vote God". Although he claimed he was not endorsing any one candidate in the Presidential election campaign then under way, he seemed to be clearly endorsing George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
over John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
. If so, this would jeopardize his church's tax-exempt status.
In May 2006 Floyd was nominated by the SBC's inerrantist leaders as a candidate to become President of the SBC.
Some conservative Southern Baptists criticized the nomination since the election process did not seem open, and Floyd's churches had only given a small percentage of their undesignated receipts to the SBC Cooperative Program.
In 2007 he joined the 30-member Faith and Family Values Coalition organized by Mike Huckabee.
In May 2010 the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force chaired by Floyd issued a report pressing for a revival of evangelism in the face of declining baptisms and outlining new responsibilities for Southern Baptist mission organizations.
At their annual meeting in June 2010 the members of the Southern Baptist Convention overwhelming endorsed the report.
However the President and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, Morris Chapman
Morris Chapman
Morris H. Chapman was elected president and chief executive officer of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee on 1 October 1992....
, disagreed with some of the task force findings and issued a list of alternate recommendations to those given by the task force.
See Also
- Southern Baptist ConventionSouthern Baptist ConventionThe Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
- List of Southern Baptist Convention affiliated people