Kansas Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists (KNCSB)

Peck Lindsay focuses on ‘real heroes’

Scores of well wishers came to the KNCSB annual meeting to honor Peck Lindsay (left) and his wife, Sue. Lindsay is stepping down on Dec. 31 after serving nearly 40 years with the convention. Among the well wishers was Jimmy Barrentine, executive director of the Baptist Convention in Iowa.

A man who has shunned the spotlight throughout his entire ministry career reluctantly came out of the shadows during the KNCSB annual meeting.

The meeting was held Oct. 12-13 at Country Acres Baptist Church, Wichita, Kan. It honored R. Rex “Peck” Lindsay, who is stepping down on Dec. 31 after serving nearly 40 years with the convention. Lindsay has served as KNCSB executive director since 1977. He joined the convention staff in 1971 as director of missions.

Sharing the spotlight with Lindsay was his wife, Sue. She helped develop the KNCSB church library ministry into a nationally recognized program.  She also has worked tirelessly in the KNCSB archives preserving the convention’s history.

Although Peck Lindsay is at the age when many people retire, that word is not in his vocabulary. He and Sue will continue to be involved in ministry.

The KNCSB Pastors’ Conference, which preceded the annual meeting, featured a question-and-answer session with Lindsay. Steve Holdaway interviewed Lindsay. At the end of the annual meeting, Holdaway finished a two-year term as KNCSB president. He is pastor of LifeSpring Church, Bellevue, Neb., on the south edge of Omaha.

The convention had about 100 churches when Lindsay joined the staff in 1971. It has since grown to about 400 churches and missions.

However, Lindsay deflected praise aimed at him. He told Holdaway, “The real heroes, Steve, are the men and women who have stayed in tough places.”

Meeting participants included 391 messengers and 231 registered visitors. During business sessions, messengers approved the 2010 KNCSB budget of $5,752,476.

Officers elected were:

• President: Ron Pracht, pastor of Olivet Baptist Church, Wichita, Kan.
 
• Vice president: John Shields, pastor of Parkview Baptist Church, Lexington, Neb.

Officers re-elected were:

• Recording secretary: Bryan Jones, pastor of Tyler Road Southern Baptist Church, Wichita, Kan.
 
• Assistant recording secretary: Gloria Garner, member of First Baptist Church, Burlington, Kan.
 
• Historian: Tony Mattia, pastor of Trinity Baptist Church, Wamego, Kan.

The 2010 KNCSB annual meeting will be held Oct. 11-12 at the Ramada Inn Convention Center in Kearney, Neb.