The state of religion, church and Arkansas' private colleges and universities with Rex Horne

On this episode of the podcast, Rex sits down for an in-depth discussion with one of his longtime religious mentors and a man he says many refer to as "Arkansas' pastor," Rex Horne, the outgoing executive director of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. With Horne's decades-long career as a prominent Baptist leader, educator and administrator, the two cover a range of topics related to faith, ministry and leadership in this installment of the podcast.

The conversation begins with Horne's explaining his recent decision to step down as overseer of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, an announcement released to the public in April, and why he believes now is the right time for the Convention to take on new leadership. Horne, who began his tenure in October 2022 after retiring from a career in ministry and higher education administration, tells Rex that "institutions go through transitions" and understands that organizations occasionally need new oversight and direction.

Next, Horne shares his thoughts on why mainstream Christian denominations are becoming "something from the past" and his belief that generational changes and different interpretations of the Bible have played a significant role in the evolution of churches and church attendance. The conversation then transitions to Horne's nine year tenure as president of Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, where he learned about higher education and serving as a university leader by listening to and learning from the university's faculty, staff and students.

Finally, Horne describes his experiences growing up in the Baptist faith in southern Arkansas, which led to his "call to ministry," including his time growing and expanding Little Rock's Immanuel Baptist Church from 1990 to 2006. In this influential role, Horne tells Rex about serving as President Bill Clinton's spiritual advisor and overseeing a $40 million building project that resulted in the church's relocation to a much larger facility on North Shackleford Road. Horne has now returned to pastoring, and the conversation concludes with a brief discussion on how he is leading Hope Church in the city's Hillcrest neighborhood, which allows him to continue to be "someone who wants to make a difference," as he describes it.   

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Chapters

• (00:00:17) - Southern Fried Podcast
• (00:01:05) - Arkansas Baptist State Convention Leader Rex Burkett on His Step Down
• (00:03:16) - When to Step Down as President of the Oklahoma Baptist Convention
• (00:06:53) - Arkansas Baptists Speak Out on the Decline of the Main
• (00:13:44) - Congregation at Pulaski Heights Baptist Church
• (00:15:01) - A message on the first year of the college presidency
• (00:19:20) - Independent Colleges and their role in Arkansas
• (00:21:08) - Pastor Clinton on Being President Bill Clinton's Pastor
• (00:27:48) - Arkansas Pastor Rex Horn on Why He Lived in the State