Mississippi Baptist Convention Board calls two new directors

By Tony Martin
Editor

The Mississippi Baptist Convention Board has recently called two new staff members. John Maxey has been called to serve as Director of Church Planting and Revitalization, and Kris Smith has been called as Director of Worship Ministries. They follow Johnny Ervin and Slater Murphy, respectively, in those roles. They will begin their work on Jan. 1, 2024.

Maxey has been serving as Associational Missions Strategist for the Lauderdale Association since May 2019. Prior to that, he pastored New Prospect Church in Hamilton; was a youth pastor at Goodyear Church in Picayune; and a student pastor and worship leader at Green River Church in Waynesboro, Tenn. He has been married to Tracy Webb Maxey for 23 years. They have one daughter, Elizabeth, 18. He was licensed to the ministry in 1995 by Cason Church in Nettleton and ordained in the same church in 2000.

Maxey holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Blue Mountain Christian University, a Master of Divinity degree from New Orleans Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Temple Baptist Seminary in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

“I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to serve Mississippi Baptists as their Director of Church Planting and Revitalization,” Maxey said. “I am thankful for the faithful leadership and service that Bro. Johnny Irvin has given to Mississippi Baptists as the previous director. He has been a tremendous help to me and so many others across our great state.

“I look forward to working more closely with the 242 Network Team,” Maxey continued. “They are a rock-solid group of Mississippi Baptists that love Jesus, his Bride, and want to see the Gospel spread throughout our state by training and equipping leaders to plant multiplying churches.

“Throughout my ministry as a pastor and as an associational mission strategist, I have always possessed a deep concern and passion for church revitalization,” Maxey stated. “The goal of church revitalization is to see God glorified as churches return to their mission of impacting lostness and making disciples. I hope to be a partner and a source of support for pastors and local churches to achieve that goal. Working with the mission strategists throughout our state, I look forward to assisting our partnering churches through prayer, coaching, consulting, and resourcing.”

Smith has been Pastor of Worship & Administration at Carterville Church in Petal since 2007. He has also served as an adjunct professor, teaching a variety of music courses at William Carey University, since 2014. He has also served as youth music consultant for the Louisiana Baptist Convention from 2006-07; Minster of Music at First Church, Natchitoches, La.; and secondary teacher at Pineville High School, Pineville, La. 

Smith holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Louisiana College and a Master of Music in Music Ministry degree from Southwestern Seminary. He is married to Hope Weaver Smith. They have three children: Kennon Kristopher Smith, Kaden Timothy Smith, and Katelyn Hope Smith.

“Since moving to Mississippi sixteen years ago, I have been involved in many of the programs offered by the Worship Ministries department, and I look forward to continuing the legacy of equipping and strengthening Mississippi Baptist churches in the area of worship and music,” Smith said. “One of the things I’m most excited about is being able to connect with and collaborate with the great worship leaders in our state to encourage and lift them up as they lead our Mississippi Baptist churches to worship the Lord. I am deeply humbled and honored to follow in the footsteps of Slater Murphy, and I look forward to carrying on the work that he has done for the past twelve years.”