By Mark Maynard
Kentucky Today
Burlington Baptist Church Pastor Harold Best, who has led Kentucky Baptist churches for two decades, will be nominated to become the next president of the Kentucky Baptist Convention.
Pastor Charles Frazier from Zion’s Cause Baptist Church and a former KBC president, intends to nominate Best at the KBC’s annual meeting in Elizabethtown this November.
Burlington Baptist Church Pastor Harold Best (Brandon Porter/Kentucky Today photo)
“Not only me, but from talking with other pastors and staff members, Harold, on every count, is a man of integrity and a man that leads well,” Frazier said.
Frazier became acquainted with Best when he was serving as KBC president in 2017-18. When the chairman of the KBC nominating committee was called to a church in Ohio, it was Best who stepped into the role and his leadership abilities were put in the spotlight.
“That’s where my relationship with him started and he led well, did a fantastic job running the meetings and took charge,” Frazier. “He was impressive and stepped up to the role without hesitation.”
Best said he appreciated the confidence shown in him to be nominated as the KBC president and would accept the nomination.
“It’s humbling,” he said, “but I told Charles I would serve if that’s the desire (of the convention). I love pastors and love to encourage pastors. I also love to challenge the church to be gospel-centered and focus more on that than some of the other divisive issues.”
Best has been at Burlington Baptist since June 2019 and has led the church to give generously to the Cooperative Program (12%) and to the Northern Kentucky Baptist Association (3%). The church has already participated in the Gospel to Every Home initiative, passing out more than 1,500 packets in the community.
He has led an evangelistic charge at Burlington with 26 baptisms already in 2021.
Best has been a longtime supporter of the KBC and is currently the chairman of the KBC Public Affairs Committee.
“I’m a big supporter of the KBC and staff and the work that they do every day,” Best said. “The Gospel to Every Home couldn’t have come at a better time and our church was excited about participating. Their vision of calling out the called and reaching the under 18 are important initiatives for us to give some attention.”
Frazier said Best was one of the first names that came to mind when considering who could serve the KBC as president. He said it’s a difficult time in ministry with the COVID pandemic and “the temperature of the Southern Baptist Convention” but that Best is someone who could encourage working together.
“There’s a lot of work involved (with being KBC president) but I also saw it as being a goodwill ambassador for Kentucky Baptists,” he said. “Harold will be able to fill that role as well.”
Best served on the search team for the KBC executive director-treasurer in 2019 when Dr. Todd Gray was nominated and is a past member of the KBC Mission Board.
Best graduated from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2005 and received his doctorate from Southern in 2009. He and wife Jenny, a teacher in the Boone County school system, have been married for 26 years. They have a grown son (Kyle) and daughter (Katelyn).
Best has pastored Kentucky Baptist churches in Lancaster and Danville.
Congratulations to our pastor! Praying God will bless and use his leadership and ministry in this position and will continue to be our pastor at BBC!