Johnny Hunt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Johnny M. Hunt |
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 Johnny Hunt speaking at First Baptist Arnold, Missouri. |
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| Born | July 17, 1952 in Lumberton, North Carolina, United States |
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| Church | Southern Baptist |
| Offices held | *Senior Vice President, Evangelism & Leadership, North American Mission Board
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| Spouse | Janet Allen Hunt |
| Children | Deanna Hunt Carswell & Holly Hunt Hixson |
Johnny M. Hunt is an American Christian leader, pastor, and author. He was born on July 17, 1952. He is well-known for serving as the president of the Southern Baptist Convention. This is one of the largest Protestant Christian groups in the United States.
Mr. Hunt was also the senior pastor at First Baptist Church Woodstock in Woodstock, Georgia. He was the first Native American person to become president of the Southern Baptist Convention. He also worked as a Senior Vice President for the North American Mission Board. This group helps start new churches and shares Christian messages across North America.
Early Life and Journey
Johnny Hunt was born in Lumberton, North Carolina. He is a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, a recognized Native American tribe. When he was seven years old, his father left the family.
Mr. Hunt faced many challenges when he was young. He left school at age 16. During this time, he had a life-changing experience with Christianity. He wrote about this experience in his book, Out of the Poolroom. After this important change, mentors from his home church in Wilmington, North Carolina, helped him. He realized he wanted to dedicate his life to ministry.
He studied at Gardner-Webb College and the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also received special honorary degrees from other seminaries.
Family Life
Johnny Hunt is married to Janet Allen Hunt. She is from Wilmington, North Carolina. They have two daughters named Deanna Hunt Carswell and Hollie Hunt Hixson.
They also have three granddaughters: Katie Carswell, Hope Hixson, and Addie Hixson. Their grandson is named Carson Carswell.
Ministry and Leadership Career
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Johnny Hunt has held several important roles in churches. From 1976 to 1979, he served at Lavonia Baptist Church in Mooresboro, North Carolina. He then worked at Falls Baptist Church in Wake Forest, North Carolina from 1979 to 1980. After that, he was at Longleaf Baptist Church in Wilmington, North Carolina from 1981 to 1986.
His longest role was at First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Georgia. He served there from 1986 until December 2019. This church is one of the largest churches in the United States. Under his leadership, the church grew from about 1,000 members to more than 19,000 members.
In June 1996, Mr. Hunt became the President of the Southern Baptist Convention Pastor's Conference. This is a meeting for pastors. In March 1997, a special teaching position was created in his name at the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. It was called the Johnny Hunt Chair of Biblical Preaching.
In June 2008, Johnny Hunt was chosen as the president of the Southern Baptist Convention. He served in this important role for two years.
In November 2016, his church celebrated his 40 years in ministry. They also celebrated his 30 years as the senior pastor at First Baptist Woodstock Church.
In August 2018, Mr. Hunt and his wife Janet announced that he would be stepping down from his full-time pastor position. He transitioned to a Senior Vice President role for the North American Mission Board. He completed 33 years of service as senior pastor.
See also
- List of Southern Baptist Convention affiliated people
- Southern Baptist Convention
- Southern Baptist Convention Presidents
