Staff

Interim Pastor, Don Mathis

Bro. Don has been married to his wife, Sharon, since March 24, 1968. 

Two married children:   Donny Ray II and Laura Beth. Laura is a personnel recruiter and lives in Winchester, KY.  Donny teaches New Testament at North Greenville University in South Carolina.  

Preached in approximately 750 revival meetings (450 since entering evangelism 11+ years ago) and numerous evangelism, leadership, and Bible conferences

Pastor for thirty years of five Kentucky Baptist churches ranging in size from an average Sunday School attendance of  77 to 945 and in worship from 100 to 1100—Crofton, Green River (Cromwell), Southside (Princeton), Central (Corbin), Central (Winchester).  The last three, in small towns, experienced 3,200 additions with two tripling in size, and all three reaching the highest attendance in their histories.

Six years in denominational ministry:  Executive Director/Minister of the West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists and Director of Pastor-Staff Leadership, LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention

While with LifeWay led PSLD, the department composed of national ministry consultants relating to pastors, ministers of education, youth, children, recreation, and media, deacons, ministry assistants, conflict mediation specialists, and LifeWay’s LeaderCare ministry, as well as publishing LifeWay’s pastor-staff leadership magazines.  Gave leadership to the launching of  FAITH Sunday School Evangelism Strategy.  Also, Pastor-Staff Leadership Department provided training and published resources related to GROW. 

Author of Surviving and Thriving in Today’s Ministry: Prescription for Effective Leadership (original written in 1999, now updated and expanded in 2009, it is for young pastors; used in some college and seminary classes) and Pastor-Staff Search Committee Guide (used by thousands of SBC churches); Contributor to Proclaim, Growing Churches, Church Administration, Minister’s Family, Let’s Worship, and Deacon magazines

Interim pastor (the entire time while serving at LifeWay) of four churches:  Second, Hopkinsville (KY), First, Portland (TN), Eastwood, Bowling Green (KY), Second, Greenville (KY) 

President of both the Pastors’ Conference and the Kentucky Baptist Convention, 1985-1986, 2009-2010

Bachelor of Science, Austin Peay State University; Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Doctor of Divinity, Cumberland College 

Preached on evangelism, pastors’ conference, and/or leadership programs in Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, Indiana, Ohio, Alabama, Michigan, and Illinois

Taught leadership and/or preaching seminars/classes at Ridgecrest and Glorieta assemblies, Mid-Continent, Clear Creek, and Cumberland colleges, and  Southern, Southwestern, and Mid-America seminaries