Virtual Summit

Dr. Gary Coleman was born in Dallas, Texas on Dec. 26, 1939. Raised in a Christian home, he was saved as a 7-year-old at a church revival where his grandfather was preaching.

He surrendered to preach in his early teens and accepted invitations anywhere he could find them… youth meetings, nursing homes, jails, and in street gatherings. While attending Baylor University, he accepted his first pastorate at Friendship Baptist Church. It was during this time that he married Judy Harris. Judy was a talented pianist and organist and played a vital role in his success as a Preacher. After the death of his granddad, he was called to be the new pastor of his home church. The Lord used him mightily to increase attendance and baptisms. In November of 1964, Brother Gary (as he was affectionately called by his members) was called to pastor Lavon Drive Baptist Church of Garland, Texas.

At the time, the church was 3 1/2 years old with 200 members on the roll. He had the joy to see the church grow to more than ten times that size while also creating a vision for incredible growth in Sunday School attendance and ministry capacity. He had the privilege of pastoring these dear people for 49 years and in his tenure as pastor, there were thousands saved and hundreds of Missionaries who were faithfully supported. A Christian School was established in 1972 that has gone on to see its graduates succeeding, thriving and leading all over the world. In addition, several of his staff, deacons, and members are now serving the Lord in full-time ministry.

After stepping down as Lead Pastor in 2014 so that he could stay by his wife’s side during her long and courageous battle with Alzheimer’s, Brother Gary lost the love of his life in 2021. She was a wonderful homemaker, a great pastor’s wife, and a devoted mother to their four children. Dr. Coleman is now the Pastor Emeritus of Lavon Drive Baptist Church where he still preaches occasionally for his pastor and former long-time staff member, Brother Robbie Green.

These days you will find Brother Gary breaking bread with neighbors and friends, and enjoying more time with his family, especially his grandkids. He continues to preach in churches and other venues across the country.

Pastor Bob planted The Church at Grace Park (formerly known as Tri-County Baptist Church) in October of 1976.

He is passionate about encouraging pastors and local churches to partner together to help the community. He has been married to his beautiful wife, Wanda, for 44 years and they have 4 children. Pastor Bob’s favorite Bible passage is Ephesians 2:3-10. His vision for Grace Park is a thriving church with multiple and creative options in instruction, fellowship, and evangelism, and one that is committed to discipling the next generation.

John Marshall married Ruth Huey in 1971. Their two children, John II and Rebekah, have given John and Ruth seven wonderful grandchildren.

Born in 1951, in Sikeston, Missouri, Dr. Marshall is a sixth-generation preacher who was called to the ministry at age 15.

He graduated from Central High School in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and earned a degree in Mathematics from Southeast Missouri State University. He graduated from New Orleans Baptist Seminary as the youngest man ever to earn a Doctor of Ministry degree from a Southern Baptist seminary (age 23).

While in seminary, Dr. Marshall and Ruth served Airport Baptist Church in Grenada, Mississippi. From there, they went to Gosnell Baptist Church near Blytheville, Arkansas, to serve three years. In 1978, the church was Arkansas’ fastest growing church. In 1979, the Marshalls moved to First Baptist of St. John, Missouri. For several years, this church was one of the fastest-growing churches in St. Louis County.

In 1985, the Marshalls began serving at Garden Baptist in Bridgeton, Missouri. The Marshalls went to East Side Baptist in Fort Smith, Arkansas, in 1991. While they were there, East Side went to two Sunday Schools and two worship services to help accommodate their growth.

The Marshalls came to Second Baptist, Springfield, Missouri, in November 1995, and retired from there 22 years later. While Dr. Marshall was Pastor at Second, the church was annually the highest contributor in Missouri to the Cooperative Program and one of the state leaders in baptism. The church began giving over a million dollars a year to missions, plus in the Marshalls’ last seven years at Second, the church gave $2.6 million to church planting and started 51 churches.
In 2004, Dr. Marshall was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award for his Alma Mater, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, one of the largest seminaries in the world. That same year he had the privilege to preach the annual sermon for the Missouri Baptist Convention, his state’s largest denomination. In 2009 he was honored to preach the annual sermon at the Southern Baptist Convention, a denomination that has over 45,000 churches and is the largest non-Catholic denomination in the USA.

After having served as Second Vice President and First Vice President of the Missouri Baptist Convention, Dr. Marshall became President in 2010. A month later, Second honored Ruth and him on their fifteenth anniversary at the church by giving them a mint condition 1962 robin egg blue Ford Falcon.

In 2011, Midwestern Baptist Seminary named Dr. Marshall their Honorary Alumnus of the Year. In 2019, he celebrated 52 years in the ministry, and 48 years in marriage. The Marshalls desire to continue ministering to churches, pastors, pastors’ wives, and lay leaders in the years to come!

Dr. Gene Mims is the pastor of the Gathering@840, a church plant he started in Franklin, Tennessee.

Prior to the Gathering, he pastored Judson Baptist Church in Nashville and First Baptist Church in Cleveland, Tennessee. He also served churches in Virginia, Alabama, and Texas. Additionally, he has a broad range of other ministry experience. From 2004-2006 he served as president of the International Baptist Network, A global Baptist missions network of individuals and entities from over eighty nations. From 1991-2004 he was Vice President of Lifeway where he led a division with 650 employees and annual revenue of over $170 million delivering products, programs, services, and events to contribute to the health and growth of churches. He also worked as president of a media and publishing ministry called 1-5-4 Ministries, and as a consultant for the Mim’s Group specializing in assisting not for profit companies. As an author, Gene has written more than a half dozen books and currently serves as a trustee for Liberty University and Kingstone Media Group. He formerly was a trustee for the Baptist Sunday school Board in Nashville. He received his M. Div and D. Min from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and has honorary Doctor in Law degrees from Liberty University, Covington Theological Seminary, and Newburg Theological Seminary. He married Ann Ross in 1973 and together they have two children, Jeff and Marianne.

Born in Gallatin, Tennessee, Dr. Randy Ray is the youngest of nine children and the son of a Baptist minister.

He is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor’s in business administration. In 1975 he received his Master of Religious Education degree from Temple Baptist Seminary in Chattanooga, Tennessee and in 1988 a Doctor of Divinity degree from Pensacola Christian College in Pensacola, Florida.

He was the chairman of the board of directors for Tennessee Temple University for several years. In 1997 Dr. Ray received the Roberson Faulkner Pastoral Leadership award from Temple Baptist Seminary. In 2006 TTU recognized him with the Prestigious Trustee Award.

In 1976 he founded the Metro Baptist Church in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. In February 1992, Dr. Ray moved to Tallahassee, Florida, to become pastor of the Temple, later North Florida Baptist Church and president of North Florida Christian School. He was on regional radio daily for twenty years and local television during that time with programming.

In May 2017, after more than forty-two years of pastoral leadership, he refocused his ministry to preaching and missions. He was president of the Capital City Republican Club from 2017 through 2018.

Currently residing in St. Augustine, Florida, Dr. Ray is married to the former Janice Dozier of Nashville, his fifth-grade sweetheart. The Ray’s were married in 1972 and have three adult sons and five grandchildren.

Rick White’s passion is best summed up in the mission statement of the church
he pastored for nearly 33 years. The People’s Church, “To transform ordinary
men and women into passionate followers of Christ.”

Rick’s focus is on equipping Christians to share the good news of God’s love and
forgiveness with people across the street and around the world. for more than three decades The People’s Church grew from 300
members meeting in downtown Franklin (where the church had been located
for 150 years) to a nearby 65-acre campus with more than 5,000 members. A
second campus in the exploding community of Spring Hill, just South of Franklin, is home to 1000 of these members. Today Rick serves as the Director of Platform Guests Church Relations for Bill Glass Behind The Walls, taking the good news of the gospel to prisons across the nation.
*He and his wife, Patti, have three daughters: Carrie, Tori, & Hope. He is a grandfather to 7 grandchildren. He is also President of Rick White Ministries Inc. RWMI is the umbrella organization for Rick’s national and international ministry. He spends several weeks a year on the continent of Africa training pastors in South Africa, Mozambique, Swaziland, Malawi, Botswana, Uganda, and Namibia. Rick is known for his encouragement to pastors, both at home and abroad.
A hallmark of Rick’s ministry has been his willingness to lead change to keep the
church’s focus and ministry fresh for the culture it seeks to reach. Although
Rick’s Southern Baptist roots are deep he has been able to bridge the gap with
believers from multiple faith traditions.
He grew up in the Birmingham, Alabama area and attended Southeastern Bible
College and graduated from Samford University. He received a Masters of
Divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville,
Kentucky. Rick has been active in the Southern Baptist Convention, and served a ten-year tenure on the Board of Trustees at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the only man in the seminary’s history to be elected Chairman of the Board for
three consecutive terms. Rick is a frequent speaker in major churches across the country and at conferences helping others to go to the next level in reaching their world. He and his wife, Patti, have three daughters: Carrie, Tori, & Hope. He is a grandfather to 7 grandchildren.