Dr. Lee Brand Jr., Dean of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary will be nominated for SBC First Vice President in June 2021

Candidate for SBC President Mike Stone praises the nomination

Here is the official press release:

SOUTHAVEN, MS – Dr. Lee Brand Jr., Vice-President and Dean of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary (Mid-America), will be nominated for First Vice President of the Southern Baptist Convention in June 2021.

Dr. Brand’s future nomination was announced by his pastor James Lewis. Lewis, pastor of DeSoto Hills Baptist Church in Southaven, MS, describes Dr. Brand as, “a fellow pilgrim who walks beside his pastor encouraging me along the way. He has a deep and growing passion for God’s Word, God’s people, and God’s servants.  He believes strongly in the inerrant and sufficient message of God’s Word and the mission of the local church. In his role at the seminary, he is helping equip a new generation of church leaders for Bible-based, Spirit-lead, and God-honoring ministry.”

“Dr. Brand is a grounded and reassuring voice for these uncertain times,” Lewis continues.

In response to his upcoming nomination Dr. Brand says, “I am honored by this opportunity to serve.  When I was first approached, I bathed the matter in much prayer before I accepted. The goals and focus of my ministry are the Word of God and service to others.  It will be my pleasure to serve the SBC if elected, and I will do so through prayer and faithful application of God’s Word.”

Dr. Brand is a two-time graduate of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary holding both an MDiv and a PhD. He currently serves as Vice President and Dean of the Seminary at Mid-America where his responsibilities include supervising the faculty and guiding the degrees and curriculum of the seminary. 

Dr. Michael Spradlin president of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary describes Dr. Brand as, “the ideal seminary dean because of his passion for the Bible, love for the local church, and his courage to stand on the truth of Scripture against any and all falsehoods even if he stands alone. Dr. Brand represents what our convention needs. He is a capable and humble leader with a passion for training pastors and seeing the world reached for Jesus. Dr. Brand bases his life on the Sufficiency of Scripture which is an example to us all.”

Saved at 12 and called to preach at 17, Dr. Brand began pastoring Beth-el Missionary Baptist Church in rural central Mississippi at 22. He continued to pastor the same church for almost 20 years until his call to be Vice President and Dean of the Seminary at Mid-America. During his time as a pastor, the church grew from an average attendance of approximately 75 to 600 as Brand focused on preaching the complete Word of God and leading his church to evangelize their community. 

“Dr. Brand understands the challenges facing Southern Baptist Churches today,” says Dr. Danny Sinquefield, long-time pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Bartlett, TN. “He has walked through many years of ministry and sees the church and the convention as only a long-term pastor can. I think his experience in both rural and urban ministry contexts makes him an ideal candidate to serve in the SBC. He understands pastors, churches, and the SBC needs – both present and future.”

Dr. Brand is a respected educator. He served as an adjunct professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary’s extension in Starkville, MS. He was also an adjunct professor at East Mississippi Community College’s extension in Columbus, MS and at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary’s extension in Oxford, MS before joining Mid-America’s faculty full time. He has been published multiple times, most recently in the Journal of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary Spring 2021.

Virgil Walker, Executive Director of Operations at G3 Ministries and co-host of the Just Thinking podcast has this to say about Dr. Brand: “Like so many others, Brand does not believe the SBC’s best days are behind it. He understands there are countless thousands who share its beliefs and are eager to be partners, collaborators, supporters, and members. Brand shows by his actions, critical thinking, and courage that the SBC is united not through accepting unbiblical ideologies but through the truth and sufficiency of Scripture. It was a joy to share the platform with him at The Gospel is Enough conference where his sermon powerfully landed the truth that the Good News of what Jesus has done is sufficient for changing hearts and lives.”

Even with such a long list of experience in pastoring, teaching, and community leadership, Dr. Brand’s priorities remain simple. He wants to walk faithfully with God, love his family, reach the world with the Gospel, and preach the Word. For Dr. Brand, all facets of life flow out of his belief and reliance on the sufficiency of Scripture about which he recently wrote. 

Pastor Mike Stone of Emmanuel Baptist Church of Blackshear, GA, and former Chairman of the SBC Executive Committee says, “I am very excited about the upcoming nomination of Dr. Lee Brand. His stand on the sufficiency of Scripture and his commitment to biblically equipping the next generation of SBC leaders will be an asset in this role. As we continue to expand the leadership role of non-Anglo Southern Baptists, our convention is blessed by Dr. Lee Brand’s willingness to serve.”

Dr. Brand has held many leadership roles. He currently serves on the Steering Council of the Conservative Baptist Network. Previously, Dr. Brand served his community as a Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees member, a Project Impact Mississippi Board of Trustees member, and as a Starkville Police Department chaplain.

Dr. Brand and his wife of 17 years have five children, ages 3 to 13.