Baptist Press: Bellevue Baptist Church said an emotional goodbye to its pastor after 32 years of service. Thousands celebrated Adrian AdrianRogers' pastorate at Bellevue over the March 4-6 weekend.
Rogers preached his last sermon Sunday, March 6 as pastor of the Memphis-area congregation. And on Sunday night, the throngs gathered to bid a final farewell to their beloved leader.
They honored Rogers for being a good shepherd, a faithful preacher and a wise servant of God. They honored him for his devotion to his family and as a denominational statesman. And they honored him for his tireless efforts which have helped Bellevue become one of the largest churches in the world.
When Rogers became Bellevue's pastor, the church had 8,739 members. Today it has more than 29,000 members. Rogers is heard in more than 150 countries on more than 12,000 television stations and 2,000 radio stations on his weekly program, "Love Worth Finding."
He is a widely published author and has been a key leader in the Southern Baptist Convention's conservative resurgence. Rogers served as SBC president for three terms at a time when conservative Southern Baptists needed their most capable leader.
But Rogers also is a spiritual leader outside Southern Baptist circles. He has visited with U.S. presidents and other leaders. Tim Goeglein, a White House spokesman, was at Friday's service to offer a greeting and to read a letter from President George Bush.
