Senior Pastor Mac Brunson announced during his Sunday service that is resigning his position at First Baptist Church in downtown Jacksonville.
His last day preaching will be May 6, according to the church and a statement from Brunson.
“We have spent these last days and weeks of ministry looking in three directions – inward, outward, and upward,” said Brunson, who joined First Baptist Church, Jacksonville twelve years ago.
Preparations for Brunson’s departure started in January of 2016 when he asked Dr. Heath Lambert to join him in pastoral ministry for the purpose of creating a pastoral transition, according to statement from First Baptist Church, Jacksonville.
Brunson joined First Baptist Church, Jacksonville in 2006. He holds degrees from Furman University (B.A.) and Southwestern Seminary (M.Div., D.Min.), and has pastored churches in South Carolina, Virginia, North Carolina, and Texas.
"Deb (Brunson's wife) and I have sensed for the last six or seven months that the Lord was bringing our ministry to a close here in Jacksonville. We are now seeking the Lord’s will for our next place of ministry and excitedly waiting for the Lord to show us His perfect will for our lives," Brunson wrote.
The church issued a statement saying it is grateful for Brunson’s years of service, saying it “has been characterized by moral and ministerial faithfulness, and no individual or group within our church asked him to leave.”
The church has four campuses: downtown, South Campus in Nocatee, the Ortega Campus on Roosevelt Boulevard and the Campus Church at the University of North Florida.
First Baptist Church, Jacksonville has been ranked by CBS News as America's seventh largest megachurch. CBS News reported the church has about 28,000 weekly visitors.
Additional information:
- Brunson’s Departure Announcement
- First Baptist Church, Jacksonville’s Statement On Brunson’s Departure
- First Baptist Church, Jacksonville website
Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org, 904-358-6349 or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.
