Plano pastor to be BGCT first VP nominee

RICHARDSON—Jerry Carlisle, pastor of First Baptist Church in Plano , will be a candidate for first vice president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas this fall.

Gary Singleton, pastor of The Heights Baptist Church in Richardson, announced he will nominate Carlisle for the vice presidency when the BGCT holds its annual meeting Nov. 8-9 in McAllen.

Carlisle and Singleton have served neighboring churches since Carlisle joined the Plano congregation in 2002, and Singleton has liked what he’s seen.

“I’ve been impressed by Jerry’s faithfulness and integrity—the way he’s represented God in our community,” Singleton said. “I’m also impressed by his involvement in leadership roles around the state and beyond.”

He cited a litany of Carlisle’s responsibilities—moderator of Collin Baptist Association, member of the BGCT Executive Board and chair of its institutional relations committee, incoming chair of the Baptist World Alliance personnel committee, vice president of Mission to Unreached Peoples, trustee of Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano and a trustee of Dallas Baptist University.

“That’s very impressive,” Singleton noted.

“I’ve seen Jerry’s involvement,” he added. “His sense of responsibility for the kingdom of God is bigger than his own church. He has a heart for the whole state.

“And his strength is leadership. He’s done a great job wherever he’s been.”

Carlisle noted he prefers to serve “behind the scenes, rather than be the face on the platform,” but he agreed to allow his nomination to support BGCT Executive Director Randel Everett’s Acts 1:8 emphasis on local, regional, national and global missions outreach.

“My only reason is to help our convention focus on missions and fulfill the Great Commission,” Carlisle said.

In particular, he wants churches to understand they can “leverage” missions efforts thorough collaborative ventures, cooperative giving and support for the institutional ministries affiliated with the BGCT.

“I would like to see us celebrate what God is doing through our institutions, missions and ministries,” he said.

Under Carlisle’s leadership, First Baptist Church in Plano has helped launch Hispanic, Anglo and western-heritage congregations, and it has been host to Korean and Chin congregations. The church shares its campus with Mission to Unreached Peoples, Plano Children’s Medical Clinic, Chin Baptist Church and Texas Baptist Church Weekday Education Association.

First Baptist Church is engaged in strategic partnerships for community development, meeting human needs, evangelism and church planting in five states in Mexico—Jalisco, Zacatecas, Oaxaca, Tabasco and Chiapas—and in short-term mission projects in the Rio Grande Valley.

Prior to his service at First Baptist Church in Plano, he served five years as pastor at First Baptist Church in Temple and seven years at Valley Ranch Baptist Church in Coppell. Previously, he served seven years on staff at Tallowood Baptist Church in Houston and five years at Plymouth Park Baptist Church in Irving.

Carlisle earned his undergraduate degree at Southwest Baptist College in Bolivar, Mo., and Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

He and his wife, Dedi, have been married 29 years on July 18. They have three children—Elyse, who teaches in Highland Park; Collin, a junior at Dallas Baptist University; and Caleb, a junior at Plano East Senior High School.