James Merritt, (born December 22, 1952), is a U.S. religious leader and was president of the
Southern Baptist Convention from 2000 to 2002.
Biography
James G. Merritt is the senior pastor o
Cross Pointe Church He was born and raised in
Oakwood, Georgia
Oakwood is a city in Hall County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Gainesville, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,822 at the 2020 census, up from 3,970 in 2010. Oakwood is home to the University of North Georgia Gain ...
and surrendered his life to Christ as a 9-year-old boy. At age 21, he committed to full-time Christian ministry, and went on to pastor five churches. He has preached around the world to hundreds of thousands of people through television and radio.
As a popular Bible teacher and respected voice of the Christian faith, James has been interviewed by media outlets including
60 Minutes, The
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
, ABC World News Tonight,
Time Magazine
''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Ma ...
, and Hannity and Colmes. Each week, Merritt's messages are broadcast in all 50 states and 122 countries around the world throug
Touching Lives a television and media ministry.
Merritt earned his bachelor's degree from
Stetson University
Stetson University is a private university with four colleges and schools located across the I–4 corridor in Central Florida with the primary undergraduate campus in DeLand. The university was founded in 1883 and was later established in 1887 ...
and his
Master of Divinity degree and Doctor of Philosophy degree from the
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
. He has published several books including ''Friends, Foes and Fools'', and ''How to Be a Winner and Influence Anybody'', with Broadman and Holman publishers. His heart for pastors has also resulted in PastorsEdge.com, a ministry resource and PastorsEdge Mentoring Conferences.
Family
Merritt has been married to his wife, Teresa, for over 40 years and they have three sons and four grandchildren.
See also
*
List of Southern Baptist Convention affiliated people
This list List of Southern Baptist Convention affiliated people includes notable individuals who are or were members of a church affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) or who are otherwise affiliated with the SBC.
Presidents, pre ...
*
Southern Baptist Convention
*
Southern Baptist Convention Presidents
The president of the Southern Baptist Convention heads the convention and is elected at the Annual Meeting. The president's duties include presiding over the annual meeting; appointing members to SBC committees; serving as an ex officio member of ...
External links
Profile at Cross Pointe Church website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Merritt, James
1952 births
Baptists from Georgia (U.S. state)
Living people
Promise Keepers
Southern Baptist ministers
Southern Baptist Convention presidents
Stetson University alumni
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary alumni
People from Hall County, Georgia