Brief History & Past Presidents

The Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists has been in existence since 1959. Beginning with a meeting in Houston, Texas at a local cafeteria, a group of evangelists met and determined to develop an association of Southern Baptist Evangelists who could meet, work and fellowship together, as they sought to fulfill their calling in full-time, vocational evangelism.

Since then the group has been led by faithful men whose leadership, vision and purpose has been singular ~ to lift up and magnify the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to proclaim the Good News of Christ in communities across the United States and the world.

Following is a list of the past presidents of Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists. Further information and history are available through the Southern Baptist Historical Society and Archives in Nashville, Tennessee.

1958-1959 E.J. Daniels
1959-1961 Clifton Brannon
1961-1965 R.G. Lee
1965-1967 Don Womac
1967-1969 John Tierney
1969-1972 Charles Massegee
1972-1973 Richard Hogue
1973-1974 Jerry Spencer
1974-1975 Sam Cathey
1975-1976 Manley Beasley, Sr.
1976-1977 Wayne Bristow
1977-1978 Bill Penley
1978-1979 Eddie Martin
1979-1980 Hyman Appelman
1980-1981 Clyde Chiles
1981-1982 Freddie Gage
1982-1984 Rick Scarborough
1984-1985 Mike Gilchrist
1985-1986 Larry Taylor
1986-1987 Rudy Hernandez
1987-1988 Henry Linginfelter
1988-1990 Jay Strack
1990-1991 Bailey Smith
1991-1993 Steve Hale
1993-1994 Michael Gott
1994-1997 Tom Cox
1997-1998 Marion Warren
1998-2000 Jerry Drace
2000-2002 Mike Osborne
2002-2003 Jim McNiel
2003-2004 Benny Jackson
2004-2005 Keith Fordham
2005-2006 Bill Britt
2006-2007 Gary Bowlin
2007-2008 Brian Fossett
2008-2009 Ron Herrod
2009-2011 Braxton Hunter
2011-2012 Dean Forrest
2012-2014 Eric Ramsey
2014-2015 Richard Hamlet
2015-2016 Phil Glisson
2016-2018 David Stockwell
2018-2019 Sammy Tippit
2019-2021 Richard Hamlet
2021-2022 Terry Veazey
2022-2024 Keith Cook