SBM taps Maxie Miller as AAMD Director and three new staff

By Barbara Denman / June 1, 2007

LEESBURG , FL (FBC)—The promotion of a Florida Baptist Convention staff member to a division level position and the hiring of three persons to the Convention staff highlighted personnel matters during the May 25 State Board of Missions meeting at Lake Yale Conference Center.

Maxie Miller was elected as director of the African-American Ministries Division, effective immediately. Miller has been serving as interim director of that division since June 7, 2006, following the retirement of Sid Smith.

Others elected were Jimmy Dukes of New Orleans as director of the Theological Education and Distance Learning Department; Charles Harvey of Orlando as associate director of the Theological Education and Distance Learning Department; and Julio Pineiro of Miami as the Southeast Florida language church planting missionary.

In this new role, Miller will supervise the AAMD staff and serve on the Administrative Staff, the top administrative group within the Convention’s organizational structure. He also will continue the task of supervising church planting personnel, a role he held before and during the time he served as interim director.

The 55-year-old holds the master of divinity degree from Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Ala., and the doctor of theology degree from Anderson Theological Seminary in Camilla, Ga. He is a candidate for the doctor of ministry degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, due for completion in 2008.

The Birmingham, Ala., native served as director of the African-American Church Planting Department from 2002 until present. He also served as pastor of the Mount Olive Baptist Church in Plant City from 1996-2002; and Friendship Baptist Church in Birmingham from 1992-1996.

In an expansion of the Convention’s Theological and Distance Learning Department, the Board elected Dukes as director effective July 1, filling the vacancy left by the death of Mark Stephens. Harvey will assume the newly created position of associate director for the department, effective June 1.

Dukes, 65, will retire this summer as associate provost at NOBTS, where he has served in various administration and faculty positions since 1980. While at the seminary, the Jackson, Miss., native worked as dean of the North Georgia Campus and the Extension Center System. His expertise in developing extension centers is expected to enhance the growth of Florida’s theological training program, said John Sullivan, Florida Baptists’ executive director-treasurer.

After receiving a bachelor of arts degree from Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss., in 1969, Dukes earned the master of divinity and doctor of theology degree from NOBTS, completing his education in 1983.

Harvey , 56, comes to the Convention from First Baptist Church of Orlando where he served as pastor of education and strategic development. He also served as NOBTS vice president of development from 2002-2006. Prior to that, the New Orleans native was director of Florida Baptists’ Theological Education and Distance Learning from 2000-2002.

During his ministry Harvey served numerous churches in Louisiana in education and youth capacities. He served as campus director of the Louisiana Baptist Student Union from 1980-1990 and associate pastor at First Baptist Church of Windermere from 1990-1996.

A 1973 graduate of Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe, La., Harvey received the master of divinity and doctor of ministry degrees from NOBTS in 1977 and 1987, respectively.

Pineiro was elected as the Southeast Florida language church planting missionary, effective July 1. A native of Havana, Cuba, the 40-year-old worked as a contract worker with the Language Church Planting Department from 2004 until present.

Prior to that, Pineiro planted Iglesia Biblica de Hialeah in Medley, where he served as pastor from 1997-2004. During his tenure the congregation planted three churches.