A MESSAGE FROM THE PASTOR SEARCH COMMITTEE

Dear Church Family: First and foremost, we want to say, “Thank you!” Thank you for your faithfulness to uplift our church and committee in prayer as we have walked through this time of transition together as a church. God’s faithfulness and His sustaining grace have been so apparent during this search for a new senior pastor. Trinity Baptist is a special place to each of us, and we are excited for what lies ahead.    It is with great excitement we recommend Michael Daugherty as the candidate for the next senior pastor of Trinity Baptist Church. Our decision to recommend Michael is unanimous. We have prayed, both collectively and individually, and believe he is the one God has chosen for our church. Throughout numerous interviews, we have consistently received confirmation on this decision. Michael has a deep love for Jesus and for sharing God’s word. We have been eagerly anticipating a leader to come and shepherd our flock, and we believe Michael is that man.  He has a depth of wisdom that inspired us as we viewed multiple sermons online. As we interviewed Michael, we were struck by his ability to dive deeply into the complexities of ministry and by his desire to continue to grow his skills to best serve his flock.    Church family, we cannot wait for you to get to know Michael and his precious family. The Lord has been so faithful to us during this season of searching and waiting, and we see how He has been preparing our church for the days ahead.  Thank you for entrusting us to serve as your Pastor Search Committee for the past ten months to identify God’s man to lead Trinity Baptist Church. This was a huge responsibility that none of us took lightly, and we have each grown in our personal walk with Jesus throughout this process.  During this season of transition, we have experienced God’s faithfulness as we witnessed individuals growing in their individual walk, the baptismal waters being stirred, and renewed commitment to prayer within our fellowship. We are excited for what God has in store for our congregation and are so thankful that God has led Michael and his family to Trinity Baptist Church. May the Lord guide his steps and unite our hearts. In Him, Your Pastor Search Committee

WEEK OF PRAYER AND FASTING

From August 13-19, 2023, we are in a week of prayer and fasting in preparation for God’s will to be done in the call of a pastor.

INTRODUCING MICHAEL DAUGHERTY SENIOR PASTOR CANDIDATE

Vision & Philosophy  Michael’s God-given desire is to pastor a church driven by God’s Word and enabled by God’s Spirit to abide in Jesus. He believes a pastor and church staff’s main responsibility is to equip the saints to do the ministry of making disciples. Making disciples involves evangelizing unbelievers, baptizing believers, and teaching them to obey God’s Word. A biblical church must prioritize making disciples who make disciples beginning in the home, spreading intergenerationally through the church, and extending into the community, the country, and the world.  Michael’s God Story  Michael grew up in a Christian home and was heavily involved at Immanuel Baptist Church. He gave his life to Jesus at the age of six.  At age 25, while in New Jersey, Michael realized he did not have a deep abiding relationship with God. He realized it was time to learn to let Jesus be Lord of his entire life. When he returned to Little Rock, Ross Spigner began discipling him. He also went through MasterLife with Bob Beach. His relationship with Jesus really grew, and he realized his life was not his own.  In April of 2014, God called Michael to ministry. He was burdened by the lack of discipleship in the American Church. He left his job and became self-employed until God revealed what was next. Several job opportunities presented themselves, but God never gave him a peace about any of them. He considered going as a journeyman with the IMB or going to seminary. In October of 2014, he visited Southwestern and it became clear seminary was his next step. Early in his second year at Southwestern, while an intern at Wedgewood Baptist Church, God clarified his calling to Pastor a church in America.  Personal Life Michael married his wife, Shara, in October of 2016. They have three boys, Malachi (5), Elijah (2), and Judah (7 months). They love hiking and playing sports. Shara and Michael are foodies and self-proclaimed “coffee snobs”. Michael loves working in the yard and making solid wood furniture.  Sermons  God has gifted Michael as an intentional communicator of the Word. You can watch some of his sermons here.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 19th FELLOWSHIP WITH Q&A TIME

CHURCHWIDE FELLOWSHIP & Q&A SESSION At 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, the church body is invited to a Churchwide Fellowship hosted by the Hospitality Committee in the Chapel. This is a come-and-go style event with a Q&A session in the middle. The gym will be open for children to play while parents enjoy the fellowship opportunity. 4:00-4:30 p.m. Fellowship 4:30-5:00 p.m.  Q&A Session 5:00-5:30 p.m. Fellowship Church members are encouraged to submit their questions ahead of the fellowship.  Click here to send in your questions.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 20th EVENTS

10:00 A.M. WORSHIP SERVICE We will have our usual Worship Service at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, August 20th. Michael Daugherty will deliver the message. 5:00 P.M. WORSHIP SERVICE & VOTE We will have a special Worship Service at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 20th. Michael Daugherty will deliver the message. At the end of the worship service, a nomination and a second will be sought to call Michael as a pastor. More details below. VOTING INFORMATION While everyone is invited to enjoy the Worship Service, only members of the church are allowed to vote on the new pastor.  Ballots will be available outside of the Worship Center. You must pick-up your ballot prior to entering the Worship Center on Sunday evening. There will be three tables setup outside of the Connect Center for you to pick-up a ballot. If you have questions about your membership status, you can call the church office at 870-779-1007. At the end of the evening worship service, a motion shall be made and seconded that Michael Daugherty be called as Pastor. A full discussion shall follow, and after the discussion, a vote will be taken by a numbered ballot reflecting a statement that the voter is a member of Trinity Baptist Church. The Personnel Committee shall be responsible for counting all ballots and a quorum of the Personnel Committee must be present for the counting. Prior to the vote being taken, the Chairman, Fellowship of Deacons, shall come forward and lead the Church in a prayer seeking God’s will in the Church’s decision. If more than 25 percent of the voting members express a negative sentiment, a call shall not be extended, and the recommendation shall be returned to the Search Committee for further study and investigation. If the vote is in favor of calling Michael Daugherty and the vote is not unanimous, then the Church shall ask for a unanimous call by a show of hands. The Pastor Search Committee shall then extend a call.

OTHER INFORMATION

If the church body affirms calling Michael Daugherty as our next senior pastor, he will begin his role at the church on Tuesday, September 5th.   Interim Senior Pastor Terry Carter will preach again on Sunday, August 27th and on Sunday, September 3rd.  A reception to honor Dr. Carter and his wife, Kathy, is tentatively planned to be held immediately following the August 27th Worship Service in the Chapel.