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RICHMOND, Va. – With Aug. 27 election of a new president of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, Texans serving on the board of trustees shared their thoughts on the selection of David Platt by a vote of 70-5.
Search committee member John Meador of Euless told the TEXAN, “After all the Q&A, all the concerns and prayer, the Spirit moved affirmatively for David Platt. I’m behind him all the way.”
Byron McWilliams of Odessa echoed that sentiment, stating, “I gladly support David one hundred percent as the next president of the IMB.”
Trustee John Mann of Springtown said, “With David’s commitments to champion the Cooperative Program and his passion to share Christ with every person on earth, I pray that the SBC will see the greatest movement of missions and the Kingdom of God will be flooded with new followers of Christ.”
Dr. John Ross of Longview told the TEXAN, “I voted for David Platt, a man anointed by God to make Jesus known to every person on the planet.”
Trustee Robert Welch said Platt’s heart for missions and leadership in getting the gospel to the lost had greatly impacted his own life. “Arguably, he has been the most influential voice for global missions both in and outside the SBC.”
Welch praised Platt for leading his church “in radical and sacrificial ways” with the entity he will now lead. “He has led his church to generous giving toward Southern Baptist causes, especially with the IMB.”
He anticipates “some incredible days ahead for the cooperative work of Southern Baptist churches” under Platt’s leadership “as we partner together to accomplish the Great Commission.”
Geronimo Disla of Bedford said, “The best man for the IMB now is David Platt. He has the passion and grace to lead us to great things with God’s power.”
Attending her first meeting since her election to the board in June, trustee June Richards of Keller said, “I am definitely going to support him and pray for him every day, as well as for his family,” noting that Platt and his wife have four young children. “I see his passion for souls.”
Trustee Mike Simmons of Midlothian entered the initial closed-door presentation by the search committee on Aug. 26 with questions on his mind regarding the candidate’s lackluster support for undesignated giving through the Cooperative Program, as well as his views on limited atonement and free will.
After several hours of committee members fielding questions and additional time spent with Platt, Simmons said his concerns were addressed sufficiently. “He addressed the issue of the Cooperative Program in the sense that he stated as he looks at it now he knows that he was wrong, and if he had it to do over again he would have been much stronger” in CP giving.
“On the issue of limited atonement I heard him address that Jesus did die for the sins of the whole world,” Simmons added. “On those issues [related to Calvinism] I began to be satisfied in my spirit.”
Further confirmation came to Simmons when he heard several search committee members explain how they had come to support Platt’s nomination after hesitating initially. “They were unanimous and that spoke pretty strong to me as well [as a sense] that God’s got his hand on David Platt.”
Search committee member Jay Gross of Conroe said he was among those “not favorably inclined” toward Platt’s nomination at first. “As we talked several times in the interview process I discovered my preconceptions were based on misinformation about his theology and ecclesiology.”
Gross said Platt “loves the SBC, his theology is biblically sound and he has led his church to be a strong Great Commission giver.”
What impressed Gross the most was Platt’s “insatiable, unflagging, contagious passion for the lost.” He added, “I have great hope that God can use him to build bridges generationally and lead us to cross the finish line in reaching the unreached, unengaged people groups.”
Trustee Nathan Lorick of Fort Worth told the TEXAN, “We’re living in a day where we have the opportunity to penetrate lostness like never before. In order to do that we need a man who is driven by brokenness and a burden for the lost in order to lead us to accomplish the task of reaching the world for Christ,” he said, adding, “I believe David Platt is that man and I look forward to taking the gospel to the ends of the earth with him.”
Search committee member Jaye Martin of Houston said, “David is anointed by God to lead the IMB for this generation.” She encouraged Southern Baptists to “get behind him for the nations.”
While not present for the meeting, trustee Marshall Johnson told the TEXAN that Platt “seems very passionate about making the Lord’s name great among the nations.”
