By Rick McClatchy

I am filled with hope as I announce my retirement effective at the end of 2023. My twenty years of service to CBF TX and eight years of service with CBF OK have allowed me to work with some of the best people in Baptist life and for that I am very grateful and joyful.  

I certainly could continue to work for more years but my wife and I would like to spend what ever remaining years we might have doing more things together. Our plans are to move back to our family ranch near Brownwood, Texas and take care of our cows. I see the cows as a rancher does, but my wife views them more as pets and has started to name them (I’m not sure how it will go when I start to sell some of her pets). 

In addition to spending time on the ranch, we plan to spend some of our time in the mountains of New Mexico. We are in the process of building a home near the mountains between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. We hope to spend several months of the year in New Mexico.  

Now for the question you are probably wondering about. What is the process of finding a replacement for me? The CBF TX Governing Board has been working since August to put together a transition plan. I will share more details in the days ahead, but this is the broad plan as we enter 2023. 

The Governing Board in early 2023 will engage in various means to hear the input of our membership regarding the future of CBF TX. 

• From this information, a candidate profile will be developed and a search committee will be appointed.  

• The search committee will do their work in the later half of 2023, and then they will bring their candidate to the Governing Board for their consideration and approval.  

• The plan is for my replacement to have a month of overlap with me. If that requires me going for a few months into 2024, that is fine with me.  

I am very optimistic about the future of CBF TX. First, we are in stable and strong financial position which makes it easy to plan for the future work. Second, we have some outstanding young Baptist minsters in this state and a number of great seminaries that continue to produce the quality of ministers we need. Third, our work along the border is growing and provides excellent mission partnerships for churches. Fourth, our advocacy work on public policy is growing. Fifth, most CBF partner churches have recovered or are recovering from the pandemic, and they have developed some great skills through the process. Last, we have developed a set of excellent partners, and chief among them is Fellowship Southwest. 

Because of these assets and the well thought out transition plan, I can retire with a very hopeful outlook for the future of CBF TX. It has been a great joy to work along side so many of you, and I will always remember you fondly.