I am so excited to announce that the long search to fill the position of Associate Director / Chief of Staff is finally complete. Now, a vote from the messengers of the Association is the final step before the hire can commence. Regardless of whether your church is Qualified and Cooperating (the Active status church which may seat messengers),
I invite you to attend a Special Called Business Meeting on Tuesday, December 17 at 10:00 am at the UBA offices to meet the candidate, Kevin Abbott.
The Candidate
Kevin Abbott is currently the senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Red Oak, Texas, where he has been on staff since 2010. Throughout his career, Kevin has held a variety of associate, spiritual formation, and lead pastor responsibilities. Kevin also served as an active duty and reserve officer in the US Army, deploying to Operation Iraqi Freedom on two occasions. It was during his reserve duty that he held a position in the corporate world and earned an MBA in Project Management.
In addition to his MBA, Kevin has a bachelor’s degree from Liberty University, a Master’s of Theology (THM) from Dallas Theological Seminary and is in pursuit of a doctorate of ministry in leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary.
Kevin’s wife Mindy is an IT professional working remotely for a company based in Virginia and is active in several ministries of their church. Kevin and Mindy have three children: one in college and two in elementary school.
The Process
Per UBA bylaws, it is the responsibility of the executive director to enlist new staff and bring them to the ALC for approval. If approved, the Association Leadership Council makes the recommendation to the messengers of the association for final approval.
Over a period of more than six months, I worked with the UBA Moderator Team to conduct a nationwide search. Dozens of resumes were received and numerous candidates were sent follow-up surveys. Based on survey responses, I conducted phone interviews with potential candidates. Ultimately, I brought four candidates to the Moderator Team for personal interviews and site visits.
Below you will find the recommendation from the Association Leadership Council, along with some words of recommendation from me and members of our UBA Moderator team.
The UBA Associational Leadership Council (ALC) in consultation with Josh Ellis, UBA Executive Director, and the UBA Moderator Team, Lee Hsia, Jonathan Williams, and Jeff McGee, recommend that Kevin W. Abbott of Ovilla, TX, be called as Associate Director / Chief of Staff of UBA at a salary and benefits commensurate with his education and experience, effective January 1, 2020.
After many conversations and interviews with several candidates, we enthusiastically recommend Kevin to fill this position.
Kevin has a demonstrated history of equipping people to expand the reach of the gospel. He brings a pastor’s heart along with a full complement of administrative skills. Kevin acquired some of those skills while an officer in the Army and others along his journey of corporate and ministry positions. He is a learner and is currently pursuing a doctorate in leadership because of that drive to learn.
Beyond his technical capacities, Kevin has a passion to develop and care for teams of leaders. He’s sensitive to the nuances of building team culture, so I believe him to be appropriately humble about following in the footsteps of a high capacity leader like Dian, while also looking to mobilize an efficient and high capacity team for the future. Kevin desires to see churches working collaboratively and has begun to see how God is at work throughout Houston. I believe he will be a great addition to the UBA staff team.
I also share with you a few brief responses from the Moderator Team:
“Kevin is a relational, collaborative leader. He is very open to learning and working with the diversity of our association while holding firmly to the tenets of our Baptist faith. He feels a calling and a conviction to lead from the second chair as chief of staff at UBA. Led and assisted by God, he will prove to be a valuable asset to the UBA staff and churches, and the Houston community.”
- Lee Hsia, Moderator
“I believe Kevin will bring great ministry and administrative leadership experience to this position. It seems that his heart and calling fit perfectly with the timing of all that the Lord is doing in the UBA right now. I believe he will be a good addition to the team and work well with the rest of the association and our churches.”
- Jonathan Williams, Incoming Moderator, 2020
I believe that Kevin is a great fit for where UBA is currently and where we are headed. His gifts, capacities, and calling will fit in well with the leadership team, consultants, support staff, volunteers, and churches in the association. He brings a humble attitude and a desire to learn, which is important because UBA is a learning organization.
- Jeff McGee, Past-Moderator