GREENVILLE, S.C. (BP) — North Greenville University Professor Nathan Finn will be nominated for a third term as SBC recording secretary by Tony Wolfe, executive director-treasurer of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, at the 2024 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Indianapolis on June 10-11.
“Nathan is a loving husband, an exemplary father, a devoted bivocational pastor, a celebrated Baptist historian, and an experienced convention leader,” Wolfe said. “Also, over the last year my joy has increased to come to know him as a faithful friend.
“He serves in a critical role at North Greenville University, one of our three exceptional SCBaptist universities, as professor of Faith and Culture and executive director of the Institute for Transformational Leadership,” Wolfe noted. “In a state full of respected Baptist pastors, theologians, and leaders, Nathan is among the most trusted and most cherished.”
In addition to his service on the 2021 Committee on Resolutions, Finn previously served on the Historical Committee for the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, was a member of the board of directors of the Biblical Recorder for the BSCNC, and has been an adviser to the SBC Executive Committee Resolutions Task Force.
Earlier, Finn was dean of the School of Theology and Missions and professor of theological studies at Union University from 2015-2018, and he taught church history at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary from 2007-2015. He has contributed to and authored several books and academic works, including “The Baptist Story” and “Historical Theology for the Church.” He holds a B.A. degree in History from Brewton-Parker College and MDiv and a PhD degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Highlighting the recording secretary’s responsibilities of keeping the record of proceedings at the SBC Annual Meeting and finalizing its Book of Reports, Wolfe said, “For such a position, in this critical season of Southern Baptist cooperation, we desperately need a trusted Baptist theologian and historian who is committed to our shared mission. Nathan has proven himself more than capable in his previous two years of service, and has done so without pretense, pomp, or power-play,” Wolfe said.
Finn and his wife, Leah, are members of Taylors First Baptist Church in Taylors, S.C., where Finn serves in a teaching pastor role. Baptist Press reached out to the church for Cooperative Program and church information.
During the 2023 ACP year, the church received $5,169,446 in total undesignated receipts and gave $521,505 (10.1 percent) through the Cooperative Program. The church gave $86,769 to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering and $157,262 to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. They reported 1,199 in average worship attendance and 33 baptisms, according to the SBC Workspace.
“In a world full of change and in a convention encumbered by distrust,” Wolfe added, reelecting Finn as recording secretary will “secure continuity, inspire confidence, and motivate cooperation among the churches.”
