Texas Baptists names new director of African American Ministries

DALLAS—Dr. Roy Cotton, from Dallas, has been named Director of African American Ministries for Texas Baptists.

Cotton assumed his new role March 1 and became the fourth director, after having served as interim director since September 2015.

More than 900 African American churches cooperate with Texas Baptists, and Cotton said he is looking forward to connecting with even more churches in this new position.

"I am most excited about connecting African American pastors and churches with Texas Baptists," he said.

As director, Cotton will serve as a liaison working with the African American Fellowship of Texas and the Texas Baptists staff, a role that he has seen well-modeled by the recent directors.

"It has been a unique privilege to serve as interim director for these past several months," he said, "having the opportunity to be mentored by all three former directors of African American Ministries: Dr. James Culp Sr., Dr. Michael A. Evans Sr. and the late Rev. Charlie M. Singleton Sr. It is with a deep sense of humility and gratitude that I can now stand on the shoulders of these three giants in this awesome work with Texas Baptists."

Cotton previously worked 16 years as a church starter for Area 4 on the Texas Baptists Connections Team. In that position, he served 18 associations working with eight directors of missions in the Dallas metroplex, North Texas and Northeast Texas areas.

During those years, Cotton worked with many people groups, represented Texas Baptists in multiple settings and spoke in hundreds of Texas Baptists churches.

"Roy Cotton has been serving Texas Baptists wonderfully well as a Church Starting Consultant," said Dr. David Hardage, executive director for Texas Baptists. "His ministry experience, combined with his wonderful personality and his love for the Lord and the local church, will enable him to serve all of us well in this new role."

Cotton's past experience also includes serving 21 years with The Mission Board of the Baptist General Association of Virginia; founding and pastoring CenterPointe Baptist Church for the Communities in Red Oak, Texas; and pastoring numerous churches in Virginia and Texas.

"Roy is uniquely qualified to be our next director of African American Ministries," said Lorenzo Pena, director of Cultural Connections, "because of his understanding of and love of the local church, his deep connection with the African American church culture, his strong understanding of who we are as a Texas Baptist family and his desire to connect African American churches to that family."

Cotton received a Doctor of Ministry in Black Church Leadership from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He earned a Master of Church Music, Ministry of Music/Voice, at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth.

He currently teaches a 15-week graduate course at Dallas Baptist University called "Church Multiplication Methods" for church planters and others in pursuit of the Church Planting degree plan.

Cotton and his wife, Inez, attend The "Exciting" Singing Hills Baptist Church in Dallas. They have two grown sons, Roy and Justin.