| Revision as of 22:11, 5 September 2009 editInterwebs (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users1,881 edits nonsense, these sections are sourced to newspaper articles. please discuss this at Talk:Steve Gaines (pastor) if you have concerns.← Previous edit | Revision as of 22:13, 5 September 2009 edit undoAletheiaeleutheroseihymas (talk | contribs)22 edits Undid revision 312081524 by Interwebs (talk) the burden of proof is on keeping them not deleting them.Tag: section blankingNext edit → | ||
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| In April of 2009, Dr. Gaines was honored with the "Open Door Award" by the April 4th foundation.<ref></ref> This was in recognition "His passion for evangelism (which) has galvanized his congregation to reach their city with the Gospel in unprecedented ways by meeting practical needs throughout Memphis." | In April of 2009, Dr. Gaines was honored with the "Open Door Award" by the April 4th foundation.<ref></ref> This was in recognition "His passion for evangelism (which) has galvanized his congregation to reach their city with the Gospel in unprecedented ways by meeting practical needs throughout Memphis." | ||
| ==Controversy== | |||
| ===Website=== | |||
| {{main|Bellevue Baptist Church#Website}} | |||
| In September 2006, '']'', Memphis' predominant newspaper, reported that recent changes at Bellevue have led to protests by some members.<ref name="CA">, James Dowd, ''The Commercial Appeal'', September 20, 2006.</ref> A website contains allegations by some church members that the church is, under the leadership of Gaines, moving toward becoming part of the "]", moving toward an elder-led (as opposed to congregation-led) form of governance, mismanaging its finances, paying its leadership too much, intimidating members that want the church's leadership to be more open, and otherwise "moving away from its traditional roots."<ref name="CA" /> <ref>, website critical of the church's leadership</ref> According to Bellevue's leadership, information on the website has appeared and disappeared repeatedly, and quotes and information about church leadership decisions have been taken out of context.<ref></ref> | |||
| ===Handling of minister misconduct=== | |||
| On ], 2006, the church announced that Paul Williams, a minister and staffer at the church for thirty-four years, had been placed on leave with an investigation pending regarding a "moral failure," identified by Gaines and others as alleged ] in the 1980s.<ref name="trust">, by James Dowd, ''The Commercial Appeal'', December 20, 2006. Accessed December 21, 2006.</ref> The next day, December 19, Gaines released a statement that acknowledged that he had been aware of the allegation since June 2006 but that he did not address it for several months because Williams had been attending professional counseling and also because of confidentiality concerns and compassion for the staffer.<ref name="trust" /> The same day, Michael Spradlin, who is president of ] (located across the street from Bellevue's campus), told the ''Commercial Appeal'' that "f a minister has first hand knowledge of child molesting and does nothing about it then that minister should resign."<ref name="trust" /> Spradlin later noted that ] supported his statement, with Dobson reportedly telling him, "hen prominent leaders have no accountability and make these kinds of decisions, other prominent leaders must stand up and hold them accountable."<ref name="CA reaction">, by Yolanda Jones, ''The Commercial Appeal'', December 23, 2006. Accessed December 23, 2006.</ref> Conservative radio talk-show host ] discussed the situation on his show, noting that he thought that it was comparable to the ] sex abuse scandal and that he believed churches should deal with these types of allegations immediately.<ref name="CA reaction" /> | |||
| On ], 2006, Gaines addressed several hundred members of his congregation, saying he would like to remain pastor at Bellevue.<ref name="support">, by Jody Callahan, ''The Commercial Appeal'', December 21, 2006. Accessed December 21, 2006.</ref> | |||
| On ], ], a church committee released a report on its investigation of Williams' conduct and the staff's handling of Williams. The report alleged that Williams had sexually molested his son in the 1980s, that Williams and his wife had informed Jamie Fish, the church's minister of biblical guidance, of Williams'past actions in May 2006, that Steve Gaines met with Mr. and Mrs. Williams in June 2006 to discuss the issue, a meeting that was kept confidential, and that Williams was retained on staff thereafter. In early December 2006, Williams' son, the target of the alleged abuse, met with Gaines to discuss why Williams was allowed to remain on staff. The report found that no other children were molested by Williams. The report criticized both Gaines and Fish for not immediately coming forward with the information related to the abuse, either to the church or to authorities as possibly required by Tennessee law.<ref>, by James Dowd, ''The Commercial Appeal'', January 29, 2007. Accessed January 29, 2007.</ref> | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 22:13, 5 September 2009
Dr. John Steven "Steve" Gaines (born December 31, 1957, in Corinth, Mississippi) is an American Southern Baptist pastor. He is currently serving at Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova (a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee), one of the largest congregations in the Southern Baptist Convention. He took over the pulpit on September 11, 2005, from longtime pastor and former SBC President Adrian Rogers.
Before arriving at Bellevue Baptist, Gaines pastored for 14 years at the First Baptist Church of Gardendale, Alabama, an 8,500-member church in suburban Birmingham. There he became one of the leading voices in the conservative wing of the SBC. In 2004, Gaines was elected president of the Southern Baptist Pastors' Conference, and was the keynote speaker at the SBC annual meeting in Nashville.
Gaines' theology is best described as conservative and evangelical.
In 2000, Gaines was diagnosed with the muscle disease myasthenia gravis, and had a tumorous thymus gland removed through surgery. He has regained his strength through medication.
Gaines' wife, Donna Dodds Gaines, grew up in Memphis. The couple met while attending Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. They have four children: Darrell Grant, Lindsey Carol, Allison Kirby, and Bethany Elise.
Dr. Gaines has published two books: Morning Manna, which has 365 daily devotional readings, and When God Comes to Church: Experiencing the Fullness of His Presence in Worship.
Recognition
In April of 2009, Dr. Gaines was honored with the "Open Door Award" by the April 4th foundation. This was in recognition "His passion for evangelism (which) has galvanized his congregation to reach their city with the Gospel in unprecedented ways by meeting practical needs throughout Memphis."