
Nashville—The Executive Committee has named Shawn Hendricks as editor of Baptist Press, effective Sept. 1.
Last year, Hendricks began transitioning into his new role when he was named managing editor/director of operations. As editor, Hendricks will continue to direct the daily operations and content of Baptist Press and maintain the administrative duties he began a year ago.
Art Toalston, who served as editor of Baptist Press for more than 23 years, was named senior editor in 2015 when Hendricks assumed his expanded duties.
“Shawn has done an amazing job this past year as he stepped into a whole new set of duties,” Roger Oldham, vice president for convention communications and relations with the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, said. “Coming to us as a gifted writer and editor, he has seamlessly stepped forward to organize and assign the daily lineup of stories, engage in advance planning with BP staff and state paper editors, enlist freelance writers, solicit news content, oversee the BP team’s daily work and manage the SBC annual meeting press room.
“He has also worked to strengthen relationships with Baptist state paper editors and associates as well as media and communications personnel with our SBC entities,” Oldham said.
Hendricks accepted the position of Baptist Press managing editor in 2013 after serving two years in the same role for the Biblical Recorder, newsjournal of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. Before that, he served for nearly 10 years as a staff writer—and later senior writer—at the International Mission Board.
Hendricks also worked as a news writer with the State Gazette daily newspaper in Dyersburg, Tenn., 1997-98; public relations staff writer at Hannibal-LaGrange University, 1998-99; and news writer at the former newsjournal for the Missouri Baptist Convention, Word & Way, 1999-2002. (BP)