Dallas: First Baptist leader to give sermon in Jacksonville, await vote

12:00 AM CST on Monday, February 13, 2006

By ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News

From the opening moments of Sunday's late service at First Baptist Church of Dallas, Mac Brunson confirmed speculation that he likely will leave the downtown institution and sought to reassure the congregation about the church's future.

"You do not follow a man, you follow Jesus Christ," Dr. Brunson told church members filling most of the pews inside the 2,000-seat sanctuary.

Almost simultaneously, members of the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Fla., were informed that a search committee had unanimously named Dr. Brunson as the top choice to lead the 28,000-member congregation.

Dr. Brunson said from the pulpit that he was upset that news reports Saturday about his likely departure pre-empted a chance to break the news to church members personally.

"My first obligation is to my congregation, and I feel like I've been robbed of that," he said.

He stressed that the committee from Jacksonville sought him out to fill the senior pastor position at one of the country's largest Protestant congregations, employing the same process that brought him to Dallas in 1999.

Dr. Brunson, 48, also said he was frustrated by rumors circulating surrounding his departure and said the move was God's will.

"Gossipers wouldn't gossip if they didn't have someone to listen to the mess," he said.

The downtown Dallas church has been home to two Southern Baptist preaching legends – George Truett, who led the church from 1897 until his death in 1944, and W.A. Criswell, who was the senior pastor for 50 years and remained pastor emeritus until his death in 2002.

Between Dr. Criswell and Dr. Brunson, Joel Gregory had a brief tenure before he left to go into business. O.S. Hawkins served five years as senior pastor before leaving to head an SBC financial board.

Church deacons credit Dr. Brunson for reversing a trend that saw members leave for suburban churches. Membership is now about 10,000, less than half the size during its height in the Criswell era.

Under Dr. Brunson, the church also embarked on a $48 million construction project to build a multipurpose building. Funds collected for the project, which is scheduled for completion in June, are $10 million shy of the budget goal.

Dr. Brunson will travel to Jacksonville to deliver a sermon next Sunday, after which members will vote whether to name him senior pastor.

Dr. Brunson and his family left the Dallas service early Sunday, saying he did not want to make any statements to the press or give interviews. First Baptist Church of Dallas officials would not comment Sunday on how they would go about replacing Dr. Brunson if he leaves.

Most church members declined to comment about Dr. Brunson's probable departure. Others said they would miss Dr. Brunson.

"I love Mac," church member Winnie Anderson said. "This whole church loves Mac, but he has to follow and go where he's told to go."

E-mail rtharp@dallasnews.com