Lagrone trades politics for the pulpit
Posted on Saturday, May 3, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Religion/224631/
The Rev. Jim Lagrone knows a thing or two about landslide elections. He lost one in 2006 when he tried to unseat incumbent Secretary of State Charlie Daniels.
But he chalked up a lopsided win on April 20, with the help of a Little Rock congregation.
Members of First Baptist Church voted overwhelmingly that day to select the former Republican political candidate as their pastor.
The vote cut across party lines, observers say.
“It was very nearly unanimous,” said search committee chairman David Porter.
Lagrone, former president of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, starts his new job Sunday.
The newly elected pastor says he’s looking forward to returning to full-time ministry, especially at First Baptist. “It’s just an exciting place and I think some great days are ahead of them,” he said.
The church, which was formed in 1889, split a decade ago. Attendance plummeted.
But the congregation has had time to heal and hopes to rebuild. “I think First Baptist Church is ready to begin to move forward again,” Lagrone said.
The church has been without a senior pastor since the Rev. Mark Howell left for a Houston congregation in November of 2005.
Porter said Lagrone “understands what it means to be a pastor, to be a shepherd, to love a church, to lead a church.” The search committee chairman predicted Lagrone will provide strong leadership and will be “standing firm for scriptural truth.”
Lagrone led the 1, 400-member First Southern Baptist Church in Bryant for nearly 16 years before resigning to seek elected office.
After briefly pursuing the lieutenant governor’s post, he switched his sights to the secretary of state’s job. He got 269, 766 votes — roughly 35 percent.
Since leaving First Southern, Lagrone has served as an interim pastor. He’s also started a church-consulting business.
As pastor, Lagrone said, he will speak out on moral issues, but he won’t be endorsing anybody from the pulpit.
Asked whether he plans to run for office again, Lagrone said, “I do not see that in my immediate future, in my near future. In the future.”
But he’s leaving the door open just a bit. “John McCain’s running for president at age 71, so I’m not going to rule anything out after I retire.”