Texas children's home executive elected new FBCH president

LAKELAND (FBW)—Jerry Haag was elected unanimously as the next president of Florida Baptist Children's Homes in a special called meeting of the board of trustees held May 19 at First Baptist Church at the Mall in Lakeland. He will begin his duties July 1.

Haag, 41, has been president of the South Texas Children's Home in Beeville, Texas, since 2000. STCH is an agency of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Previously on the faculty at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., and Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, Haag also served as administrative pastor at Shades Mountain Baptist Church in Birmingham and worked for AT&T Business Marketing Group from 1989-1992.

Haag earned a Ph.D. degree in finance and real estate from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1995, and bachelor's and masters degrees in business from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He is also a certified financial planner.

Raised in a Christian home in the Texas panhandle, Haag made a profession of faith in Christ as a pre-teen and was called to ministry in junior high, although he never felt that would mean pastoral ministry. He majored in business in college, worked in the corporate world and later chose to pursue a Ph.D. in finance rather than go to seminary, not as a way to fight a call to ministry but always believing "we're in the center of God's will."

Haag was ordained to the Gospel ministry after he was called to serve on the staff of Shades Mountain Baptist Church.

Later, Haag was called to South Texas Children's Home—a ministry he became acquainted with through his future wife whose father was a longtime administrator—without having pursued the position.

Such was the case with FBCH. Haag said he did not pursue the position, but was honored to have been recommended by its two previous presidents, Jimmy McAdams and Charles Hodges.

Haag told the board it would be hard to leave South Texas Children's Home.

"We've invested our lives, our energy, our every emotion, our waking moments, even some of our sleeping moments in the people there and the children and the staff," Haag reminisced. "... But what we have ... is a calm assurance, a great confidence that this is where God's calling us."

Christi Haag told the board about her testimony of Christian faith and her priorities as a wife and mother.

"I'm passionate about the men in my life, but even those pale in comparison to my passion for my Lord," said the mother of two who frequently speaks to women's ministries and Woman's Missionary Union groups. "If you want my heart to beat fast, then talk about missions."

Jerry Haag told the board of his philosophy of children's home ministry focusing on finding the best staff and providing opportunities for them to grow spiritually, the importance of ministry to children, and the dire need for funding for the ministry.

Ministry to abused and neglected children "is the most pure ministry out there, I believe," Haag said, citing James 1:27: "'Religion that God our Father considers pure and faultless is this: care for the widows and orphans in their time of distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.'"

Haag responded to questions from the board about the scope of his current children's home ministry, the challenges of such ministry, his work advising the Texas Legislature on child care matters, state funding for child care ministry, his opinion of the Florida Baptist Convention, how he will handle current FBCH staff who sought to be president, and changes that may need to be made at FBCH.

The South Texas Children's Home, which has increased the number of children and families served by 317 percent under Haag, according to a biographical sketch he supplied, and operates two residential homes and two family care locations providing counseling. A total of about 5,600 children and families were served last year, Haag told the board.

Although STCH from its inception has philosophically operated from the posture of rejecting state funding, Haag said that he did not have a problem with FBCH's acceptance of state funding, so long as it did not compromise its Christian mission. FBCH currently receives approximately 27 percent of its funding from state funding and has a board-adopted cap of 33 percent.

Asked if he thought he would be "on the same page" and could have a good relationship with the Florida Baptist Convention, Haag affirmed that he was "familiar enough" with FBC from what he "read and seen" and that he worked closely with the Baptist General Convention of Texas and believed that the children's home is an extension of the ministry of the local church.

After about an hour interviewing him, Bobby Musselwhite, FBCH presidential search committee chairman, told the board the committee brought the recommendation of Haag "with great delight."

Nancy Grigsby, a member of the search committee from Niceville, told the board that Haag has a unique combination of gifts that are particularly suited to lead FBCH. While impressed with his resume, Grigsby said there's more.

"I think the thing that impresses you more than his resume is his heart for God," Grigsby said. "And that's just so apparent. For me it's like a great combination of gifts ...."

Following the meeting, L. Daniel Hutto, chairman of the board from St. Augustine, told Florida Baptist Witness, "This is a day we've looked forward to. We feel as a search committee and as a board we have the right man in this position. We look forward to his leadership, his vision for the Florida Baptist Children's Homes and just know that God is going to lead to him as he begins his time here with us."

Haag told the Witness he is looking forward to serving FBCH.

"We're extremely excited about getting to be a part of the Florida Baptist Children's Homes and its more than 100 year ministry to children and families throughout Florida, " Haag said. "Florida Baptists and other people throughout this state have loved this ministry because it is very much a part of God's heart to reach out and to care for those who can't care for themselves. So we're excited to get to be a part of that and excited to get to be a part of the Florida Baptist Convention."

Haag has been married to Christi for nearly 19 years and they have two sons—Ben, 13, who accompanied the couple to board meeting, and Brady, 11.