Dr. Frank Page has a heart for pastors and staffs of small churches

By Steve Rutledge, Director of Missions, North Greenville Baptist Association

Published June 6, 2006

As you know, Dr. Frank Page, pastor of Taylors First Baptist Church, will be nominated next week to be the president of the Southern Baptist Convention.

You’ve heard that Dr. Page and the Taylors Church are strong supporters of the Cooperative Program. That’s true.

Between now and the time of the vote for President you will probably hear that Dr. Page and the church are committed to starting a new church every year. They are, and they have been doing that for several years.

Here’s something you don’t know, and probably will not hear from any other source: Dr. Page cares about and loves the pastors and staffs of small churches as well as the mega churches. I know that because I am the Director of Missions for the North Greenville Baptist Association. The Taylors Church is a part of our association and is the only mega church. There are 46 churches in our association, and the majority of them are small churches.

Dr. Page attends our monthly ministers’ conference when he can. I remember the time when Dr. Page told every minister that he cares about them and wants to assist them in any way that he can. In fact, he gave every one of us his cell phone number, and told us we could call him day or night. He said, "I can’t give my cell phone number to everybody because I would receive so many calls, but I want each of you to have it." He said, "I mean it. If you need me, call me direct."

Just yesterday I was talking to a minister who used to be the pastor of a church in our association, and is now in another part of South Carolina. After serving his church for years, some of the people began to have conflict with him. He told me that during his last year as pastor in this area, Dr. Page called him. He took him out to lunch. Dr. Page encouraged him and prayed with him. Then Dr. Page kept in touch with him, and kept encouraging him, until he was able to move. Dr. Page really cares about all of God’s servants, even those of us who serve in small places.

To me, that’s so important that I wanted you to know. No one asked me to send out this e-mail to the 950 pastors and denominational servants on my e-mail list. I did it on my own because I want you to know more about the kind of man Dr. Page is.

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